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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Jul 10, 2008 - 05:52pm PT
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Great scott, yo, were you perched on my shoulder the whole time? You totally captured it (except the part where we stumbled down in the daylight, because, well, you know...)
The Steck-Salathe remains the hardest thing I have ever climbed in my life.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Jul 10, 2008 - 06:19pm PT
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Kirk you will perhaps recall Sean Easton of Canada with the floppy dreads; this 24 hours of toil took place with him. I think he's since transcended this level of climbing, but at the time it was a Great Leap Forward for us. Life was different after that.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Jul 10, 2008 - 07:11pm PT
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At the height of my groveller days, I actually bought a #4 camalot at retail from the Mountain Shop specifically for the route. This we then assessed as 'too heavy' and left behind:
Not really a great choice.
Which epiphany came to me whilst attempting to yard through the pitch below the Narrows with a single #3 camalot.
And so anyway here I am, having moved to the area, and I'd really like to get on this thing again since it's been a solid 14 years since this formative effort and the thing is pretty much up the street. The next partner that indicates any sort of interest will definitely get a bite from me.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 10, 2008 - 07:18pm PT
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Jaybro: "A fred of mine is trying to seduce me to the dark side and drag me up this rte during the facelift. Been up there twice, what's left to see?"
Well, there might be some garbage and junk that you could pick up en route, at the summit, or on the descent. That would be very much in the spirit of the FaceLift.
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Jul 10, 2008 - 07:47pm PT
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anything we find is coming down, you betcha!
First did that one (same party) 20 odd yrs ago, pretty much same time of year, we were down, showered,(?) getting hassled by Walt, on the slideshow benches, way before dusk.
since I'm involved, there is every reason to suspect that this ascent, if it happens, will be slower. Though I think Fred, tf anything, is stronger now, than he was then!
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yo
climber
I drink your milkshake!
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Jul 10, 2008 - 08:27pm PT
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Whaddaya mean there's nothing left to see up there, Anderson? I can't remember a thing, man I was gripped reading that TR! hahaha Turned out OK though.
I'm sorta with Rhodo, kinda itching for the beast again. Next partner that mentions it...
Maybe I'll try out that opposing arm bar shizz from that other thread, could be key for the crux! (wherever the hell that might be)
(Killer photos DMT)
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Jul 29, 2008 - 01:32am PT
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"...the thin blood of sport climbers."
I think there is a BAWC tee-shirt concept with that phrase on it!
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Yonder (out in the sagebrush)
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Jul 29, 2008 - 02:05am PT
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I remember when you guys did that , Rob. You were Kings! Well, that day, anyway. The Sentinel ain't no roadside crag, is it?
Proud....
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Feb 25, 2009 - 01:44pm PT
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Gotta bump this baby because of Yo's TR.
Ahbsolutely!
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Feb 25, 2009 - 01:55pm PT
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The yo post made my freekin' day!
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Feb 25, 2009 - 02:00pm PT
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Ya know Kirk, it felt like different people came down from there than what went up.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Feb 25, 2009 - 02:02pm PT
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The trick to enjoying the SS is to be climbing a bunch of cracks beforehand. If, for instance, you're coming off a winter of cragging out at Josh, bagging a slew of cracks each weekend, you'll cruise. Just jumping onto the SS cold will be tough.
None of the SS is very hard - but it's all strenuous, even the 5.7 stuff, and it burns people out not used to that much jamming.
I think the late, great Chuck Pratt did the SS over 20 times. Now that's old school.
JL
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scuffy b
climber
just below the San Andreas
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Feb 25, 2009 - 02:13pm PT
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I wonder what it would be like to do this climb while believing
that everything was going to work out fine.
I know what it's like when you think you just might die and rot
on the thing.
After climbing it and knowing that repeating it would be the
stupidest (I mean SUTPIDEST) thing possible, it took me damn
near a whole day to start thinking it wasn't such a bad time
after all.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Bump for what has to be the best piece of writing on ST, Yo's run down above. "We can assume anything" is going to be my go-to phrase for June 2010.
From C-Mac: "Steve Roper refers to the time period around the first ascent as the “technical age.” By today’s standards, however, Salathé and Steck used archaic gear. On a climb filled with wide cracks, the largest pitons they had were only an inch wide."
An inch?! I can't imag - I don't even...
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Already posted a photo including the Ford axle piton of Salathe's that Kyle Copeland, expert salvager, recovered off the SS.
Gotta show it to Yvon and Ken.
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Sonic
Trad climber
Folsom, California
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You should read the Salathe article in Alpinist 29? maybe. This guys is free soloing the route and actually passes Salathe at 75 years old! Bad ass article
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Steck-Salathe....
It's kind of an engima. I had done it once or twice years back and, when I was in shape and free soloing most of the NE Butt of Higher (roping up for a pitch or two) I went up there to scope what kind of free solo it would be (taking way too small of a rack) I could hardly find a pitch I'd free solo and it kicked my butt to boot.
Good preparation, get a huge piece of plywood, lay under it while 4 guys sit, one on each corner, and you try to wiggle out. (maybe it's just because I'm big that the narrows hurt so bad.)
People have tried to talk me into guiding it, but mostly were duped by the low ratings. Talked them out of it but here's a trip report from one guy who made it.
http://www.yosemiteclimber.com/Return_of_Gunks_Gumby.html
Except
"In the retelling, Steck-Salathe becomes a pretty lighthearted excursion, starting when I finally called my wife, who I didn't want to worry. "Yeah, we finished by headlamps, got to the top around midnight, no, not too cold -- we brought up some extra clothes anyway, it's not like we didn't expect it. And we knew once on top we could build a fire. It was really nice!"
But in reality it was a profound experience for me too, a "vision-quest" in Karl's words. My muscles stayed strong but my mind and body were both shot. I could climb most of the pitches clean and still be quite certain I couldn't lead any of them. At the top, I had plenty of energy to collect some really nice firewood, but suddenly collapsed, couldn't talk or strike a match. I had an extra sandwich in my pack for "dinner" and was too tired to eat -- my friends would whip out a stethescope if they ever saw that. I slept for an hour and awoke to find my muscles feeling the same asleep you feel when you cross your legs for too long. My entire body probably hadn't moved an inch for sixty minutes. I stretched and promptly did the same thing for another hour. Finally Karl and I lit the fire, slept a bit more, and chatted through to dawn. I felt better and could eat my sandwich. The river Styx had been crossed."
I swear I'm not going up there again (for repeat #5 or #6) but I've learned to never say never
Next time I lead the Narrows (and there will be no next time, after being STUPID EVERY TIME) I'm not going to hang a pack or the rack below my harness, it stays at the belay until I get past the birth canal part and I'll tag it up
Peace
Karl
Edit: Another narrows memory. dropped a tcu in the narrows with a sling and biner on it. I caught with my toe and pinned it against the wall. It was excruciating to try to touch my toe to retrieve the piece but I'm so cheap I managed to brush it with my finger. No cigar... just as I almost grabbed it on the second try, it flew off into oblivion. Good thing I had scored a #4 camalot at the beginning of the pitch with equal thrutching.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Great thread, and all-time great TR, yo. You're sure you aren't from Fresno?
John
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TripL7
Trad climber
san diego
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I wonder who salvaged the fixed pin that was at the crux(or just below)the Wilson Overhang? It was there for years, throughout the '70's!
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