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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 4, 2007 - 12:40am PT
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A number of years back I thought of creating a First Ascender Registry where first ascent parties could record their thoughts, feelings, ethics and experience of their climb. It would also be a resource so in the future, when we're all dust, future generations might look back and understand why you ran it out, why you rap bolted, and why you do or do not want your route to be changed in the future as ethics evolve/devolve. It almost got off the ground at RC.Com but the devil was in the details.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=20192
I would definately suggest this to all the first ascenders of routes covered by supertopo. In the route beta section of supertopo, post a few tibits or a story of your route. How you felt about it, what ethics went into it. Anything. Make the history more alive.
Also, before you get even more senile, write up some stories and tidbits of various routes you created. Doesn't have to be a publishable epic. Just interesting and historical stuff like gets posted on supertopo all the time. Historians will google it later. Also contact Chicken Skinner (Ken Yager) for all historical and hysterical yosemite route info. He's doing a museum and it includes information. I'm exhausted, somebody post his address.
This is a unique sport in that the pioneers are still around. Tell us what you thought and what you think. It's a somewhat unique opportunity in the history of a sport where the myths and realitiies can actually be compared right from the horses mouths.
Peace
Karl
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Please, Michael;...it's just a climb; Friendship goes WAY beyond the silliness of climbing, and you know it. AND , we have been friends since you were 14...not 15....(Get your facts straight.....). I still consider you my friend, and always will;....I learned what it was like to be a climber from you;....and on that foundation, I have been able to go all over the world climbing and have a blast. I owe alot to you and all that you shared with me and taught me over the years. But climbing is just that;...climbing;...and friends are much more;...don't kid yourself. Stingray is just another climb on a cold, dusty piece of rock out in the middle of nowhere. You have climbed so many rad climbs;......it's just a rock. I've done a fair bit climbing myself;...it's only rock. Your friend. Todd Gordon.
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WBraun
climber
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Mike
You pinned it out to make it go? hahahaha
Oh man .....
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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I heard that the geezers, young and old, are all over on RC.com.
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john hansen
climber
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It's amazing the legends that hang out on this site,,, .
My best FA was an eighty foot 5.9 at the Indian Springs turnoff going up Hwy 80 to Tahoe. We used to go up there alot and work out on top rope.
There was a face off to the left that was way more wild than the little fourty foot slab we practised on, but after climbing that little face a hundred time's ,I figured I was ready to lead this thing.
It took us fifteen minutes to make it the one hundred feet over to the base of the climb thru the brush.
There were two paralell cracks leaning up to the left for about twenty five feet. I got a couple pieces in and headed out right and up across a broken area to a solid looking flake another ten feet up.
When I got to that flake it moved when I touched it,, there would be no protection here...
So, up 40 feet I'm looking at a ground fall, with another 40 feet to go.
For some reason I really wanted to get this FA on my home crag.
We had no 'Friend's' or TCU's ,, just nuts... pitons wern't allowed at that time. I got up to a spot ten feet from the end and I joined three totally sketch pieces together, with no chance of holding a fall. I went for it and made it.
Last time I was up there the practice slab was grid bolted, and my climb had six bolts...
with a bolt on that final move , it is pretty safe
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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"Workable state,"...hmmm, say no more.
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TwistedCrank
climber
a luxury Malibu rehabilitation treatment facility
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Chuck and I drove to the cliff. He asked me which crack we should try. I pointed to a line that looked interesting. We hiked up to it, uncoiled the rope and racked up. Chuck led the first pitch. I led the second pitch. Chuck led through to the easy slabs at the top, belayed me up and asked me what I wanted to name the climb. I came up with a name that was mildly suggestive, yet captured the climbs' character. Chuck asked me how hard I thought it was. I shugged my shoulders but said that I was a little gripped on my lead. Chuck said he was too and then asked me what we should do next. Off we went.
I don't know if the climb has ever been repeated or if anybody else even knows about it. They probably do - it was over 25 years ago after all. It doesn't matter - at least not to me. I only hope that if it's ever repeated that they enjoy it as much as I did.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Been there.
Done that.
Can't remember most of it.
John was your spelling of "ledgends" deliberate? lol
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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No Mike, no wire brushes ever. I like loose grit, why mess with it!
p.s. "Randy Vogel has me pinning and widening it to make it free." It's history now, Randy has a pretty good memory.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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I just love these hysterical [or were these to be historical?] tidbits.
Wow! Didn't know I had Mike doing anything (except crediting him with the FA on TR).
And that vicious Todd Gordon guy, stay away from him. A real back stabber.
And me? A route stealing, guidebook profiteer, hasbeen.
Maybe a group hug would help with all the bad feelings.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Karl,
I'll bite and give a brief story of an FA over on Glacier Point Apron.
It was the daze just before we realized that motorized drills were in fact not legal by the words of the Wilderness Act. David had scoped a route, and I was game to give it a go.
Just left of Anchors Away, David started up towards a small, left facing overlap. 30 feet up, he feels it's time to place the first bolt, which goes in pretty fast when you've got a BullDog.
Clipping in and climbing higher, he comes to a point about 50' up. He's got to make a couple of moves to get up to the overlap. David would have placed a bolt just there, but Anchors Away comes in from the right and there's a bolt close by. Instead of giving the appearance of a cram job by placing a bolt within 10 feet of the adjoining route, David makes the moves up (5.10-) to the overlap. I still believe I could have pulled in enough slack to keep him off the ground should he have skated.
Up to a stance, he places the second bolt under the overlap. He's now about 60' up. Climbing smooth, David underclings and balances up and out the feature. Finding a good stance about 15 feet up, David contemplates another drill session. Instead I yell up "Hey, you're not going to drill there, are you?" You see, David was climbing so smooth I thought the moves to be about 5.7 (when in fact the climbing is .10+).
He looks down, then without drilling he heads up. Stopping at the next stance, he's now a good 25' above the last bolt. Still feeling good and strong, he begins to continue on, but backs down to the stance to sink in the third bolt of the pitch. Good Idea!
With the 3rd in place, he heads up again, climbing out another 25-30 feet before placing the last of the four bolts on the pitch. The belay is about 150 feet up, on level with the second belay of Anchors. Four bolts placed in stance and the pitch was up in less than 45 minutes; 5.10d.
Seconding, I quickly realize that I was sandbagged on the ground. 25 feet up, you make 5.8 moves to get to the first bolt. After unclipping the second bolt, I snake out the moves under the overlap, solid .10+ up to the stance, then smeary .10c type moves to make it to the third bolt. I was shaking, even though the rope to me came from above.
I got up to the third bolt and couldn't believe that David actually climbed past this point before returning to place the bolt. Madman on FA energy. Keep away from that stuff.
Moving up to the last bolt, the wall steepens and I wonder how on Earth I'm going to make these last moves to the belay. My question is answered in stone, beautiful incuts on the Apron appear and the headwall yields to gorgeous .10b climbing.
Now it's my turn to take the lead and I try not to change the nature of the route. Right off the belay the climbing is stiff and I manage to get in a bolt good and high. More .10+ climbing gains a small dike heading up to a polished slab of granite.
A bit up the pitch I drop the drill and watch it fall 60' (the length of the tag line), where it finds a sudden stop. This ejects the battery, which continues to hail down the stone, crashing into a bizzillion pieces at the base. Farther up the dike, the second battery fades and we rap down, leaving the drill standing out of the rock with the bit sunk half way into the hole. Funny that.
Returning with a feshy, I head up again. Trying to match the bold runs of the previous pitch, I take several headers while attempting a mantle half-way up the pitch. What a rush, falling past the bolt where a BullDog hangs by FiFi.
After 3 or 4 whippers, David takes over (he's so damn impatient!). Climbing to the dike's end, David steps over to the polished slab, climbs a few moves and blows off. One or two tries later, he finally realizes a bolt will give him some courage. So the last bolt goes in and he squeaks up the final section of slab to a handsome ledge.
On the follow, it took me two falls and some light tension to get started on the slab. At the top we agree; hard, friggin' hard.
I guess we missed the cut-off point, the latest Free Climbs book lists our climb on the bottom of the page with only the name, grade, and s simple arrow pointing up: Slamdance, 5.12.
When you put up a route, you often wonder how others find the climbing. In the years since the FA, I've wandered past Slamdance a few times. Usually there are poot slings on one, if not all, of the four bolts of the first pitch. Past there, the bolts of the 2nd pitch look lonely.
Has anybody nabbed the second?
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 4, 2007 - 05:16pm PT
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Hey K-Bro
I've looked at ShamDance a thousand times and wondered about it. I'd be very surprised to hear about an ascent although the stone looks beautiful. The dike looks sweet. I've always intended to TR it from the top down but never got around to it.
Peace
Karl
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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m'Bro Karl,
The first pitch is a real beauty, but a bit bold (as noted). Somebody stole the hanger off the first bolt, I'll be replacing that soon...then we can fire it up! I'm kinda wondering what the 2nd pitch feels like nowadays.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 4, 2007 - 10:43pm PT
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The rock probably feels the same, we probably feel old and frightened!
Peace
Karl
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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wish I was old enough to have (bump) stories
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 5, 2007 - 11:04am PT
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Thanks for that story Kevin.
I'm not sure everybody understands what goes into creating a route like that. You've provided one vision of how to make your own adventure and contribute to future adventures as well. (a blessing for cliimbers who get to enjoy without years of hiking, scouting, drilling and such)
Guess there's no gumbie route on Basket Dome! That place is wicked.
Peace
Karl
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Kevin,
Now there's an FA story...yikes. What a colossal amount of work.
I like your descriptions, "Easy 5.11..." After Hairline, I wonder
just what that means.
Good on ya!
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Jefe'
Boulder climber
Bishop
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Ask Kevin about bolts poppin' with Meyers, and how the rope feels in the hands on the slide down.
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jerr
climber
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Thats an amazing new route story.Nice read to.
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