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Matt M
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 26, 2006 - 07:21pm PT
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Saw a picture of this area above Yo Falls trail. I'e always wondered about it... History?
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Sep 26, 2006 - 07:44pm PT
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Matt, you will find some info by searching "the peanut", there has been some recent interesting posts on that route. I think there may be or have been restrictions on the apron for climbing. Not only was there rockfall up there, the sucker is above the trail and poses safety problems. I don't know what NPS position on climbing there these days is. You will find in posts that some liked it up there.
best P
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Sep 27, 2006 - 11:26am PT
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I can tell you about the FA of Chain Reaction...its sort of interesting. Can't do it now as I am super busy--Have to work--life isn't all about living in the past! Maybe next week...
Chappy
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scuffy b
climber
The town that Nature forgot to hate
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Sep 27, 2006 - 06:57pm PT
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Go, Chappy!! Don't skimp on the embellishments!
To get in the mood, you might peruse the Largo Writing Contest
thread right here on ST.
sm
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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Sep 27, 2006 - 09:12pm PT
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I'd like to read that Mark. In Sept. 1979 I backed off of what I recall was the second pitch of Chain Reaction, after we did the Peanut. I'd done Paradise Lost and A Mother's Lament, and thought we were ready for another Reider route. Wrong.
I got to a very small ledge from the right end of which a seam rose for several feet. I could not get in any pro or see any bolts. I was 10 or more feet above my belayer with nothing in. The anchor was a single 1/4 inch bolt. The climbing above seemed desperate. Continuing to climb up without any prospect of pro was too daunting. Downclimbing from there was . . . challenging. After my aborted probe, my partner was not interested.
We hoped we were off route. The thought that someone had led up into that unknown made us feel rather less than competent.
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bobh
climber
Bishop, California
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Sep 27, 2006 - 11:22pm PT
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Steve, we climbed something there; what did we climb?
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scuffy b
climber
The town that Nature forgot to hate
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Sep 29, 2006 - 06:13pm PT
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Geez, Bob, I'm flummoxed (but pleased to use the term). I only
remember being on the Peanut. Dennis O and I both backed off it
in Autumn 73. Did the climb with Gerdsen Spring 75. Is there
anything to the right of the Peanut?
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Michelle
Trad climber
If it's puny, don't waste my time.
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Sep 29, 2006 - 10:31pm PT
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stay away.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Sep 30, 2006 - 12:12pm PT
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I did the Peanut with Rick Accomazzo and Richard Harrison (we were all from Suicide Rock and were dialed into that kind of climbing) and we would have done a bunch more climbing there but the rock was a little flakey-or so we thought--so we focused on Royal Arches and Middle C. for new face routes. We were always meaning to go up there and do Chain Reaction but never did.
JL
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scuffy b
climber
The town that Nature forgot to hate
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Bob, how's this for a scenario? You & I climbed the Peanut
and I imagined doing it with Gerdsen? Plausible?
I'm pretty sure I never did Chain Reaction or Seaside or
Smoky Pillar. All other names are escaping me.
sm
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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For those interested, there is a picture of the CB apron and me on the first ascent. Check www.tomhiggins.net and look under gallery.
I liked the apron because it felt away from main events, fit my penchant for face climbing, had a nice shaded mysterous look in the afternoon light and a knock out view to Upper Falls. As well, some of the brown flakes hid a soft, green growth visible when, uh, the flakes fell off! Yes, there was some of that ... not much, but enough to make it a bit scary, akin to some Pinnacles climbing I love for the same quirky reason.
Also interesting is what Peter mentions - Rangers do not like climbers on this wall because it is directly above a major trail. I don't believe there is a formal prohibition, but they told me their concerns and they are valid, though we didn't find any large loose rock on the climb.
In a wise ass moment of my younger days in high lust for this (and other firsts), I suggested to a ranger they move the trail a few yards out from the wall. Scowls. Frowns. And, of course, my recommendation was not implemented.
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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About Chain Reaction:
It was the fall of 1972. I was seventeen and spending my first full summer/fall in Yosemite after graduating from highschool. Little did I know I would end up living there for nearly thirty years! It was a happening time to be climbing in the Valley. It was the beginning of what I like to think of as the Golden Age of Yosemite free climbing. As much as the sixties was defined by the ascents of the Valleys big walls, Yosemite, in the seventies, came to be defined by the Valleys great free climbs. The sixties had Harding and Robbins, the seventies Kauk and Bachar. Of course there were very many other extremely talented climbers who contributed to the Valleys climbing legacy . The early seventies seemed a transitional time between the two eras. The free clean climbing ethic that would come to define the era was still gestating and the concept of what could be free climbed would soon be shattered. There were climbs that gave a hint of the future, ascents by the likes of Sacherer, Pratt, Peter Haan, Mark Klemens, Jim Bridwell, and Barry Bates. In the realm of face climbing there were the routes of Tom Higgins. At this time Bridwell was the only one of these great climbers who still lived and climbed in the Valley full time, and as such became our link to the past. A new generation was beginning to leave their mark. Along with Bridwell, Jim Donini, Steve Wunsch, and Rik Rieder dominated the Valley scene in the fall of 1972. I was a wanna be in awe of their climbing skills. Of this group Rieder may have been the best. He was an amazing climber who idealized the new free climbing ethic. Bold, and possessing perfect technique he accomplished some great ascents. One of these was the first clean ascent and overall third free ascent of New Dimensions. Ray Jardine related the story to me in near reverential tones. He told how he wanted to use pins but Rik wouldn't let him, and how on the last crux pitch Rik approached a fixed pin. Instead of making some desperate effort to clip it Rik calmly climbed up to it, flicked it with his finger a few times to gauge its soundness then casually clipped it before topping out. Along with Kevin Bein and a few others I witnessed his ascent of the first pitch of Final Exam in rock solid perfect form. Of course he was a master face climber as well. I once saw him climb the Initial Friction boulder in his work boots rather than the slick PAs he normally wore. Along with Ed Barry and myself, Rik had a lot of respect for Higgin's face routes and we sought out routes of our own that we could climb in a similar fashion as Tom's. Though I was a wanna be I wasn't a total slouch. I had had some success on 5.10 off size and 5.10 face (I was hopeless on 5.9 hand cracks). After Rik and I made an ascent of the Peanut we noticed the possibilty of a new line on the same apron of rock. Returning at a later date we started our ascent. I got the first lead. If I remember correctly it was only 5.8. I busted a drill bit placing the first bolt and couldn't get it out of the handle and had to finish drilling the hole using only a hammer and a new bit. I managed to get the bolt in and lowered off. We returned with a new bolt kit and a few friends. Ed Barry and the Scottish climber Rab Carrington decided to join us and climb as a second team of two. I finished the first pitch and Rik led the second crux 5.10 pitch. I can't remember much about it other than for me it was quite hard. As I neared Riks belay I remember being so stoked that I had made it. My joy was short lived...the next thing I knew I felt a tug from below and I was pulled off the rock and in an arc across the face. Down below Ed had been leading the crux. My trail rope was dangling there in front of him and he couldn't resist grabbing it starting a chain reaction of events. As I was swept down the face Rik was pulled from his belay stance and one of his anchor pins pulled. Fortunately, he and the belay held. The extent of the damage was one torn sweater, a bloody arm, and perhaps Ed's ears from the rude cursing I leveled on him. Riks time in the Valley was short lived. A head injury suffered during an exploratory attempt on the PO wall the following year saw to that. I will always remember him for that one magic fall in 1972 when he stood tall.
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scuffy b
climber
The town that Nature forgot to hate
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Thanks for the great story, Mark. I had never heard some of those
details. Things like Chain Reaction and the last pitch of New
Dimensions definitely had mutable stories told about them. It
was kinda hard deciding which parts to believe sometimes.
Reminds me, don't Jorge and the Warbler have an unusual DNB
tale to tell?
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Apr 10, 2008 - 11:25am PT
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Chappy, what a super cool story!! I'd never heard the tale of Chain Reaction before. I hope you see this post sometime and bring back some more tales. It is what we are made of....
Edit: This is what's so cool about digging up threads from the past years. It's new to me.
Someday, someone will spend a year digging these stories up and put a book together. "The Supertopo Archives"
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Apr 10, 2008 - 08:33pm PT
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Bump for Chappy's story.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Apr 10, 2008 - 08:47pm PT
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indeed...
... I had to finish drilling the hole using only a hammer and a new bit.
Very nice!
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Apr 23, 2013 - 05:08pm PT
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Bump
I never climbed with Chappy, once with Rik and once with Ed Barry (and of course the hornet saga with Ed and Dave Hitchcock).
Rik was/is such a cool guy. A gentleman. Ed, one-arm pull ups, I've tried, and I cheat, using the other arm to support the one arm.
Bouldered with Tom Higgins at Indian Rock, but that is the extent of it.
The Peanut, it's a very cool route.
An overlooked area in someways (Seaside is a delight). But I understand there are restrictions.
Mark, coolaboola, great story. Everybody I mentioned did so much more that I ever did. Sigh. But... there is the future.
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john hansen
climber
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Aug 31, 2013 - 11:01pm PT
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Great story chappy
Hope you don't mind a little editing..
About Chain Reaction:
It was the fall of 1972. I was seventeen and spending my first full summer/fall in Yosemite after graduating from highschool. Little did I know I would end up living there for nearly thirty years!
It was a happening time to be climbing in the Valley. It was the beginning of what I like to think of as the Golden Age of Yosemite free climbing. As much as the sixties was defined by the ascents of the Valleys big walls, Yosemite, in the seventies, came to be defined by the Valleys great free climbs. The sixties had Harding and Robbins, the seventies Kauk and Bachar. Of course there were very many other extremely talented climbers who contributed to the Valleys climbing legacy .
The early seventies seemed a transitional time between the two eras. The free clean climbing ethic that would come to define the era was still gestating and the concept of what could be free climbed would soon be shattered. There were climbs that gave a hint of the future, ascents by the likes of Sacherer, Pratt, Peter Haan, Mark Klemens, Jim Bridwell, and Barry Bates. In the realm of face climbing there were the routes of Tom Higgins.
At this time Bridwell was the only one of these great climbers who still lived and climbed in the Valley full time, and as such became our link to the past. A new generation was beginning to leave their mark. Along with Bridwell, Jim Donini, Steve Wunsch, and Rik Rieder dominated the Valley scene in the fall of 1972.
I was a wanna be in awe of their climbing skills. Of this group Rieder may have been the best. He was an amazing climber who idealized the new free climbing ethic. Bold, and possessing perfect technique he accomplished some great ascents. One of these was the first clean ascent and overall third free ascent of New Dimensions.
Ray Jardine related the story to me in near reverential tones. He told how he wanted to use pins but Rik wouldn't let him, and how on the last crux pitch Rik approached a fixed pin. Instead of making some desperate effort to clip it Rik calmly climbed up to it, flicked it with his finger a few times to gauge its soundness then casually clipped it before topping out. Along with Kevin Bein and a few others I witnessed his ascent of the first pitch of Final Exam in rock solid perfect form.
Of course he was a master face climber as well. I once saw him climb the Initial Friction boulder in his work boots rather than the slick PAs he normally wore. Along with Ed Barry and myself, Rik had a lot of respect for Higgin's face routes and we sought out routes of our own that we could climb in a similar fashion as Tom's. Though I was a wanna be I wasn't a total slouch. I had had some success on 5.10 off size and 5.10 face (I was hopeless on 5.9 hand cracks).
After Rik and I made an ascent of the Peanut we noticed the possibilty of a new line on the same apron of rock. Returning at a later date we started our ascent. I got the first lead.
If I remember correctly it was only 5.8. I busted a drill bit placing the first bolt and couldn't get it out of the handle and had to finish drilling the hole using only a hammer and a new bit. I managed to get the bolt in and lowered off.
We returned with a new bolt kit and a few friends. Ed Barry and the Scottish climber Rab Carrington decided to join us and climb as a second team of two. I finished the first pitch and Rik led the second crux 5.10 pitch. I can't remember much about it other than for me it was quite hard. As I neared Riks belay I remember being so stoked that I had made it.
My joy was short lived...the next thing I knew I felt a tug from below and I was pulled off the rock and in an arc across the face. Down below Ed had been leading the crux. My trail rope was dangling there in front of him and he couldn't resist grabbing it starting a chain reaction of events. As I was swept down the face Rik was pulled from his belay stance and one of his anchor pins pulled. Fortunately, he and the belay held. The extent of the damage was one torn sweater, a bloody arm, and perhaps Ed's ears from the rude cursing I leveled on him.
Riks time in the Valley was short lived. A head injury suffered during an exploratory attempt on the PO wall the following year saw to that. I will always remember him for that one magic fall in 1972 when he stood tall
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Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
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Aug 31, 2013 - 11:17pm PT
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Don't edit the piece, the 1970s were all about not editing and letting it roll!
Don't get on the route if you can't focus to the end...
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