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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Sep 21, 2006 - 06:49am PT
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I know my climbing prowess wasn’t at the top of the game/chain, and I know I farted around too much in the Valley when I should have been on the rock, but I am having a second ‘reckoning’. To be remembered for my truck more than my climbing is… ‘sobering’ to say the least. ;-)
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Sep 21, 2006 - 12:30pm PT
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It was dog food, Jorge, and sans vittles, we had to bail meaning when I returned to do the whole route I had to climb those lower pitches again, which was exciting. I remember being very proud that I made it all the way up those first ten leads with no falls.
I also remember Mark Chapman had just returned from Alaska and wasn't really dialed into rock climbing at that exact moment and he got out there on one of those 5.9 pitches down low-- with basically no pro--and things got a little sketchy. There's also a 5.10d pitch up high, like 2,000 feet up there--Kauk led it and it's a dandy. Ron also ended up with the short but chilling A4 bit.
Those adventures on Middle were amazing, none moreso than the first ascent of Stoners, before any of us knew what the hell we were really doing. Kevin was at the top of his game and did some amazing route finding out on the sharp end. There must have been like 20 people involved in all the probes of that route.
JL
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Sep 21, 2006 - 06:10pm PT
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Rokjox, I had an old pair of EBs with leather but I don't remember selling them. Could be, that was like, 30 years ago or so. I also had a pair of PAs with rubber on the sides.
I don't think I was that fussy about the truck being touched, but that was like, how long ago...? heh heh
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Jorge
climber
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Sep 21, 2006 - 10:12pm PT
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Hey John: Yeah those routes were special. Mostly the wandering into the big unknown that set them apart from the crack lines. I truly don't know how anybody could do similar routes any faster than we did. It just was mentally tiring to get out on the sharp end over and over, and placing those bolts by hand.
Stoners was a breakthrough climb. I've got some classic pics of you on stuff. We'll get it out there eventually.
I think I lost interest in the upper Mother Earth when we started putting in the ladder off the ledges. You know some young punk could probably sport it out free these days...
And remember the impressive wall above the traverse ledges? WHat stunningly steep and featured climbing that would be? Maybe 3 pitches, way up high and real steep. How we fanticized how it could be protected on lead with hooks and slings on horns, opposing slings held with bungies, etc., not rap bolted by some yahoo... And it's still there.... Certainly bigger than us...
Jorge
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Sep 22, 2006 - 02:09am PT
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Unbelievable...Kevin W., George M., Roger B., Largo ??., (well largo!...he always defied description) Mike G., Werner B., and others...What have I stumbled upon in cyber space?? To the Mother Earth crew: I have a photo of Kev in his RRs with George (chesire cat grin in place!)at the base of Mother Earth that fateful day the four of us set out...One of my favorites and a fond memory indeed.
Chappy
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Sep 22, 2006 - 02:21am PT
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Wow!
Way to go Chapman; 'good thing you showed up.
Right on time.
Cheers,
Roy
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Sep 22, 2006 - 07:05am PT
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Wow, welcome Mark Chapman. Another Stonemaster who has succumbed to the Taco Stand.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 25, 2006 - 01:27am PT
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Dug up these slides of climbing on Middle Rock. Except for the first shot, these were taken by The Warbler himself.
North Face slab on a nasty day. Black Primo climbs the black coneshaped intrusion above and left of the climber.
Black Primo.
Crux pitch.
Jigsaw - wild 5.9 climbing and sparse pro.
Same nasty day as above, further up the trail; snow in the Gunsight.
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Hangerlessbolt
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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Nov 25, 2006 - 03:25am PT
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I totally shouldn't even be allowed in this thread...this is unreal...Color me starstruck
-RB
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Nov 26, 2006 - 12:26pm PT
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Boy, those pics of Black Primo bring back some memories. Like KW said, that snowbank shot gives a visceral feel for the magnitude of the place. The dark rock and shady vibe made it all the more intimidating when you're up there, on sight, trying to find your way. A couple things stand out in my mind.
First, the boots back then were not great for smearing, which is mostly what you find on Middle. I climbed Stoner's in those old red PA's and had to edge everything. EBs weren't a lot better. I remember going back and doing Stoner's in sticky boots (the original Fires) and thinking how much more secure they made the climbing. Also, especially on Stoner's (before we got dialed into route finding), we often did the hardest climbing on stuff that was actually off route. Kevin led a pitch down low that was probably 5.11+ (remember that weird roof thing) that we later found we could travers around at 5.10b.
Another thing(on first ascents)-- when you really had to buckle down and go for it the main concern wasn't so much cranking the moves, it was hoping that somewhere in the next twenty or so feet you'd find a hold to place the next bolt, or maybe a crack for a wire or a blade. This was particularly so on Mother Earth and Black Primo (or Black Rose as it's now called) because they were steper than the other routes and you couldn't eyeball options with much certainty.
On the hardest pitch of Black Primo, Kevin and I went up and down putting bolts in and after Kevin finally sank the last bolt before the crux (a sh#t-your-pants placement on a truly steep wall), I recall going back up on the sharp end and studying the rock below for quite a while, trying to see what I'd hit if I popped. The wall below was steep and smooth and eventually I went for it, on fairly rounded holds, totally clueless if I could crank the moves and if so, if there was anytwhere above on which to stop and arrange the next pro. That was one of thge few times in my whole climbing career that I said, F*#k it, I'm going for it and come what may. I'd seen Tobin work this strategy to disasterous results but thiings worked out for us on that day. More than simply hard (I imagine this route is still pretty hard), Black Primo was a great route with high adventure. You had to be a solid face climber with good mental control to have any chance at all.
Great memories.
JL
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Nov 26, 2006 - 12:45pm PT
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Funny how abject terror fades to great memories!
I remember going back to that slab recently to climb some of the better protected routes that seemed like sport climbs when they first went up (in my mind) now they seemed pretty led out!
A long time ago, I took a 35 foot upside down and backwards whipper on Freewheelin when my foot slipped on some sand after the crux. Knocked out half of one of my front teeth. We bailed to the denist! I went back for revenge a number of years later and when I got to the place where I could clip the bolt to protect that section, the bolt was gone! I finally found the rusty hole and figured "enough is enough" and I was outa there.
great memories!
;-)
Karl
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Nov 26, 2006 - 01:46pm PT
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Kevin wrote: "Maybe Largo could guide me up it for old times sake."
Since Christmas time is nigh upon us, kindly bone up on a classic X-mas song known the world over as, "I'll be home on Christmas," paying special attention to the line, ". . . if only in my dreams."
JL
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 26, 2006 - 01:49pm PT
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Greetings All
I hope everybody tucked away a little mantle insurance over the holidays, just in case. Great to have you on Mark. How about posting that teaser photo of KW? Lots of juice kicked up by those dusty old images.
Great post on Black Primo John! Locking and loading in the spirit of God's righthand man, I love it. Not just another day pulling the trigger at the office fa sure! Incidentally guys, Black Primo is Black Primo and by any other name would not smell as sweet though the Rose lingers curiously on.
The grand cast of characters and quality stone on Middle Rock make for such a uniquely rich and wonderfully challenging experience if you are solid enough to pay the piper and get on up there. I dream on it every day. An Ansel Adams photo of the lower main wall from Space Babble to Stoner's winks at me every time I sit in the clawfoot tub at days end.
More tales and pics please!!!!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Nov 26, 2006 - 02:27pm PT
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Kev wrote " then up a left facing corner to a bolt protecting the crux. When he fell above the bolt all the nuts in the corner lifted out and came spinning down the taut rope, adding to the length of his fall and leaving one of those quarter inchers between him and a huge (100ft?) ride. "
Yeah, that sounds like the culprit. I thought that maybe I could get away with a piece in the corner but the memory of the previous flight made me think better of it. It was one of those deals when the crux was all but finished and there was one move to bombersville but that when the mind slipped it's attention for a microsecond and whoosh...!
I know the first part of the climb was rebolted and I think I remember that they went back and finished the job. I'm gettin too old for long flights though. Maybe Russ will guide me up there.
I was on the first pitch of Stoner's a few years back and Bridwell shows up and says he thinks the route used to start like 35 feet to the left. I'd done the route over 20 years earlier and it hadn't moved so it was hard to agree, but it was Bridwell so it was hard to disagree. I'm pigheaded so I disagreed anyway.
Peace
Karl
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Nov 26, 2006 - 06:24pm PT
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I might be mistaken about this but I believe I made the second ascent of Freewheeling, and Kevin came along as a guide. Kevin was huge on these new routes and being a face climber I had to go up for a look see. I also remember a sling belay up there off dreadfully sketchy wires pasted behind a little flapjack flake, and Englishman Ed Drummond climbing directly off said belay on greasy, insecure slab moves and me thinking if Ed pops here we're all done for. I trust that belay has been shorn up since.
JL
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 26, 2006 - 08:04pm PT
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Hey Kevin, I don't think that Royal would have had any difficulty with the bolts we placed on Freewheeling--they were a long way apart and he was only concerned about slipping standards. I don't think anyone accused us of that--maybe stupid!
I have some old b&w pictures of you, me and George on the first day tries on Freewheeling. I'll try to get them scanned and posted.
I have a question on the first bolt. I placed one directly above the bleay on the second pitch, to move up and right into that thin corner. I thought that that was the first bolt we placed, but that would have meant no bolts on the entire first pitch. But in all the topos, I've seen there is bolt half way up the first pitch. Do you remember if we placed that bolt on the first pitch? Is this the one that was missing?
Roger
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Nov 26, 2006 - 11:46pm PT
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Hey, Roger--
I'd love to see any photos of any of our generation during Middle C. explorations. I never had a camera during all my early climbing days and the only pics I have prior to about 1976 were taken by others. It doesn't much matter to me who the photo is since back then we were all basically interchangable partners.
Per the second ascent of Freewheeling, I don't remember the first pitch having any pro whatsoever. It didn't seem all that horrendous for one reason: We'd spend hours traversing and climbing around at the base of Middle in order to get used to the rock. Many, many times we'd go crack climbing and on the drive back from the Cookie or Arch Rock or El Cap or wherever we'd stop by Middle and spend an hour or so traversing. After about fifty of these sessions you learned just how far you could go on the orange, white, grey and black holds, what your boots would stick to and not stick to, and you developed a certain style of cross presuring and mantling off finger tips and so forth--stuff that worked well on Middle and nowhere else. This gave us the confidence to go for big runouts and keep the lid on because there was nothing you'd find out on the lead that you hadn't seen in one form or another during the traversing workouts. Sometimes you'd have like six guys, some 30 or even 40 feet off the ground, just meandering around and getting the whole thing dialed in. The reason for this was that there were sections of the harder routes like Space Babble and Black Primo where you couldn't afford to fall. That's why stuff up to about 5.10b (probably 5.10c/d in the old EBs) had very sparce pro. They guys who put in the time traversing knew what they could do. I think what made this climbing so interesting is that it was far more mental than gymnastic--especially so on first ascents. It was much more a confidence game than a bouldering fest.
JL
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Nov 27, 2006 - 12:12am PT
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hey steve --
been trading some old war stories and pm's with a few folks on greasy but groovy -- did you ever get on GBG, or shaky flakes? seems like the kind of self-inflicted, one-move-at-a-time chinese water torture you'd be attracted to. did thanksgiving with hatcher and eve in moab this year, was flipping through the new "valley free climbs" book and noticed the GBG now sports an R/X rating, as oppposed to the old "R" rating...
by my count i've now identified three parties i personally know (not counting the FA party, I sort of knew rick back in the 70's when he was going to USD) who've done the route, and they all count it as a rite of passage. pretty sure danny McD has done it, gotta call him and chat him up about that rig.
shaky flakes felt a bit harder, but it was a sportclimb compared to GBG.....usually it was ok to fall on shakey flakes...GBG felt like free-soloing with a rope and (very nervous) belayer...!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Nov 27, 2006 - 12:33am PT
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Man, I've taken nearly all my most harrowing free climbing falls on Middle Cathedral. Maybe I should do some traversing. I've never actually found anybody doing it there.
What's the beta for the best places on Middle to traverse, you know, for mortals that don't want to deck from high up?
peace
Karl
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Nov 27, 2006 - 12:42am PT
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Bvb
Done all of Shakey Flakes but only done GBG to to top of the third pitch. That Third pitch of GBG is so continuous and beautiful, it's one of the best slab pitches in the valley. It's got good pro too, except if you fall on the 15 foot (more or less) runout to the first bolt and crash down onto the lower angle slab below. Jeesh.
There's one pitch high up on Shakey Flakes where you're something like 50 feet runout, have to make some dicey moves, and if you fall you're going over a roof way down below, but will hit the slab eventually anyway.
I love(d) it, but no wonder slab climbing is more or less dead these days. Somebody stop me from going back on those routes.
it's kinda like hard aid climbing. You don't know for sure if you gonna fall until get "that feeling" all of a sudden and bye, bye, hope you come in for a happy landing.
Peace
Karl
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