Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
ericb
climber
CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 15, 2009 - 08:02pm PT
|
It’s been a tradition among the Yosemite Climbing Ranger program to conduct a Nose climbing patrol every couple years to check on the build-up of trash on the world’s most beautiful big wall. This year, myself–Eric Bissell–and NPS Volunteer Alex Baker gladly picked the short straw and embarked on our first Nose ascent. And as Trip Reports seem to be in short supply at the Taco stand lately, I thought I would post up some photos and a short description to let you all know how it went.
Looking up at the start of the route.
Alex was a past Wilderness ranger in Yosemite and is now focusing on his aerospace grad schooling in Portland. Eschewing fixing to Sickle, we hiked up to the base with a big load (88lbs of water!) and started climbing at about 7:00am. We were aiming for El Cap Tower that night.
After climbing for about four hours we reached Sickle Ledge and my block was done. As Alex started up the next pitch I cleaned up some disgusting rotting chile peppers. What the … Who left that there? It smelled so bad and I was terrified that they would explode in our haul bag so I put them in the bottom of our poop tube. Regardless, they stank for the rest of the trip. I also poured out some rancid apple juice and collected some empty (and now empty) water bottles and headed out…
Alex penduluming into the Stovelegs. He linked 5 and 6, then went to the intermediate belay at the base of the stovelegs.
A Tom Evan’s shot: Alex in the stove legs.
I took over at pitch nine and barely(!) made it to dolt with a 60m haul line. I had an old bd #4 and a new bd #4 and walked them up the ow section. To get the haul line into the pro-traxion on dolt I had to attach a long sling to the anchor to lower it a few crucial feet.
At Dolt we passed a party of two that had ascended their fixed lines to sickle that morning. They were suffering from the heat but were determined to stick it out. Walls in the summer means bring lots of water– you’ll definitely be happy for it!
A couple nice fixed pieces made the wide stuff below El Cap tower mellow, and we happily reached our bivy with daylight to spare.
Tasty-Bite dinner with the Grouse Creek Fire in the background.
The next day we were pysched to get moving. I gingerly stepped around some VERY loose blocks at the start of the Texas Flake chimney and then shimmied up to the top. The west side of the chimney felt super solid and I avoided the temptation of the big shiny bolt inside so Alex could jug the outside.
Boot Flake, one of many gorgeous and fun flakes on the Nose.
The King Swing was next and went without too much issue. I lowered down to the bolt ladder, got a little momentum and went for the blind corner and grabbed it! Andy, in the party below yelled up “He got it first go!” but Alex responded, “He hasn’t made it yet,” just as my sweaty hands oozed off the sloping corner and I went sprinting back. On the second go I was a little more prepared and made the tension traverse into the layback. As I waited at the belay, Alex performed the monstrous lower out and came quickly up to take over the lead.
Alex contemplating free moves in the grey bands.
Alex took us into the Grey Bands and to the intermediate belay between pitch 18 and 19, where we left the bags and enjoyed moving unhindered to pitch 21. This allowed Alex to give me a belay from the intermediate to Camp IV, which was a nice way to follow that traversing section. At Camp IV we encountered some more trash, including an enormous leather boot… anyone missing their right shoe? The thing weighed ten pounds.
Next came this beautiful piece of granite.
Alex re-aiding the Great Roof.
Day two ended at Camp V, where we set up the ledge, called out of service for the evening, and watched the fire turn pink on the horizon.
Alex was in the lead the next day and as he took off, I worked on fishing for ancient cans in the back of a crack at our bivy with my nut tool. As I jugged up to Camp VI I was optimistic about what we might find there, besides the bag or two of miscellaneous trash that we had picked up, the route looked fairly clean, but within ten feet of the platform I began to pass more and more trash. Once I got to Alex I thought I had seen the worst until I peeked into a dark crack on the opposite side. I would say that this spot is possibly the most disgusting place I have seen in the entire park, in what should be one of Yosemite’s most respected locations. Camp VI is not the act of a single climber or “fringe” group but is the build-up of years of ignorant and immature people. I would have hoped that anyone who had developed the skills to climb the Nose to pitch 26, would have also developed some love and respect for our sport and this place that most awesomely represents it.
Possibly people see the utter mess of Camp VI and think that their trash will not be a substantial addition? I would ask why they would want to associate themselves with this statement of disrespect, why they would want to tie themselves directly to this trash dump 2500’ off the ground? Instead, when passing this revolting spot one could demonstrate that they disagree with it by taking out some of the trash.
But enough words for now… here’s some photos to show what almost every glamorous Nose ascent quickly passes:
Well, a little difficult to return to a great mood after that sobering episode, but luckily Alex is a great partner and he raised the moral by yelling about what a great time he was having through the free climbing at the beginning and end of Changing Corners.
After Changing Corners, I got some more incredible pitches with plenty of free and French-free up beautiful corners, laybacks, and sharp flakes. Even aiding out the final bolt ladder was some fun.
We topped out around 4:30 and feasted on our extra food.
|
|
Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 08:06pm PT
|
AWESOME!
Nice TR and pics and thankyou for the effort!
What a cesspool Camp 6 is! Will it allways be that way?
|
|
Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer
Trad climber
Bay Area
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 08:07pm PT
|
Cool. Not that I have ever climbed the Nose and pretty unlikely that I ever will, but thanks for your efforts. Good to see people are out taking care of stuff like this.
|
|
bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 08:24pm PT
|
Wow! Ultra Badass!!!!!
That musta sucked cleaning up everyone's trash. Thanks for doing it. I'm sure it's much appreciated by all whole climb the route.
Maybe seeing no trash will encourage others to stop leaving their shit!
Well done, dudes!
|
|
Russ Walling
Gym climber
Poofter's Froth, Wyoming
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 08:28pm PT
|
Maybe the Park Service would pop for about 3 yards of ShotCrete and seal over that vile hole at Camp 6?
Good job guys!
|
|
ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 08:35pm PT
|
Nice work! Perhaps you could describe the odors emanating from the festering pit? I dry heaved a bit just looking at the close up photo.
|
|
Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 08:42pm PT
|
Thanks, guys. If you're ever in Hood River, Oregon, stop in to the Hood River Coffee Co. and I'll comp you some bags of fresh beans.
|
|
steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 08:44pm PT
|
Thanks for the great report and all the awesome effort on cleaning up after some incredibly thoughtless people!!!
|
|
John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 09:05pm PT
|
Thanks for the great TR and for cleaning up the route.
|
|
labrat
Trad climber
Nevada, CA
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 10:27pm PT
|
Nice report!
Thanks you both so much!
Erik
|
|
happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 10:45pm PT
|
I should have known better....I was just putting a spoonful of Rocky Road ice cream to my lips when I scrolled to the poop picture.
blechk.....
|
|
the Fet
Supercaliyosemistic climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 11:05pm PT
|
Good Show!!!!!
|
|
Captain...or Skully
Social climber
way, WAY out there....(OMG)
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 11:22pm PT
|
"Bizz" does the business!
Right on, dude.....Yeah, Maybe we should just eliminate Camp 6....Blow it right off the rock! Then, when they're hangin' in slings,They'll wish they hadn't trashed it.
Less impact than Hetch Hetchy.....The illegal, STOLEN Dam Valley.
Groove.
|
|
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 11:26pm PT
|
Nice TR and great work, Eric! And thanks again for helping with the rebolting on Mother Earth last summer.
|
|
murcy
climber
San Fran Cisco
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 11:29pm PT
|
SPECTACULAR photos, and thank you so much for doing this.
|
|
Alex Baker
climber
Portland
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 11:36pm PT
|
Thanks for all the positive comments. I'll post some remarks, more photos and some videos here when I get time.
Alex
|
|
Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 11:40pm PT
|
Keep the kingdom fit, words to live by.
Great TR!
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
Jul 15, 2009 - 11:56pm PT
|
Good Alex and Eric. Glad it went really well and thanks for doing so much to help the route!!
|
|
Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
|
|
|
Jul 16, 2009 - 12:10am PT
|
complete and utter respect for that trash fishing expedition.
thank you
|
|
Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
|
|
|
Jul 16, 2009 - 12:20am PT
|
Good job, thanks for the TR, the photos and the reality check on Camp VI... That place is disgusting.. and like you say.. the climbers should all be packing out whatever they can reach while traveling through, but like the well rounded, hard men and women they are.. they don't!
WTF?
(I'm not bitchin' about this, cause I might never see that pitch. but.. man...)
I thought I was part of a smarter crowd than that.... I guess that's why I show up at the face lift.. so I can feel like I've not done what others of my kind have.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!