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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2016 - 05:38pm PT
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Gotta love all that clean stone!
Way to get after it Vitaly!
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
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Dec 16, 2016 - 06:09pm PT
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V, are all those lines going to be in the new complete Valley Guide? Easiest way to approach is from the Meadows, specifically via Olmsted Point as you discovered. Always surprised that no one went in there and did more after our initial forays in 1983 and 1988, respectively.
People are lazy, but you certainly weren't!
The most totally awesome new routes out there are the two drop-of-water lines out of the big water holes west of "Escape From Freedom". Are they your next targets? I know that Scott Burke friction traversed out to the first water spout hole/bathtub, but didn't do the line. Must be a reason! The territory out there is very, very steep (as you know). Not conducive to hooking either. Stance and hand-drill your way up, or rap and drill pre-engineer the path. Never know till you try.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Dec 16, 2016 - 10:01pm PT
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We started to rap bolt the line from the top, looked too hard for GU. Aiming down towards the water holes. I think it will go free, most of the way. In the worst it will be a short bolt ladder in a spot or few. But yeah, the rock is amazing! Too bad the big snow came... :/ I think your friend did not want to deal with it because there is too many bolts to place. But he was gonna hand drill. Wink wink. ;)
The approach from the top is the best way for sure.
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Dec 16, 2016 - 10:31pm PT
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Really?... another Growing Up. Give the rock a chance fer crying out loud.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Dec 16, 2016 - 10:48pm PT
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Should be a good route. At least the top four pitches are great. When you approach the rock from the top, might as well start drilling from there. BFD!
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Dec 16, 2016 - 10:53pm PT
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if a bolt is on a slab an no one is ever there, does anyone care?
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Dec 17, 2016 - 12:08am PT
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That's the rub tut....it's a first ascent not a first descent.
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
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Dec 17, 2016 - 01:39am PT
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You could ground up one of those routes out of the water spout holes no doubt, but there'd be an element of uncertainty about where you'd have to begin laddering (i.e. cheating). Ground-Down would certainly result in an impressive hard line but would be a sure victory (whether you were able to free it or not). Ground-Down seems like it eliminates the opportunity for an impressive personal adventure though. A matter of taste.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Dec 17, 2016 - 07:13pm PT
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Ground-Down seems like it eliminates the opportunity for an impressive personal adventure though.
That's why I was only kidding when I said we are rap bolting a line on Watkins. You can pull April's fools earlier, it is usually more effective. :)
Let me waste time and talk about nothing, as most people have their minds made up. Personally, I feel the most satisfaction when climbing new routes ground up, onsight, all free, at my complete limit mentally and physically. Yet, if I did that every time I tried to climb something new, it would be mentally tiring and it would get boring as you get the same thing every time. Doing things differently is what I love about climbing. Get creative. Ice climb, do some slab, a big wall, a mountain, repeat an old classic, climb in the gym, bust ass to do the quickest possible time that you can on a ridge traverse, take it slow on a new route. Whatever! Someone can find their spirit in the mountains, someone can find natural beauty, challenge, athletic pursuit, maybe a reason to exist?
In the last several years I have done a load of new lines, encountered many different scenarios and have heard all kinds of stories about other people running into situations where the best solution is not obvious. Especially when you take on routes that COULD become modern free climbing test pieces (not 5.10 cracks). Most people do not do new routes and most of those who do, don't usually go for lines that may run into blank overhangs. I wish most would understand, no matter how you do it, usually the individual is trying to find something challenging and do the best that they can. Who am I or anyone else to set qualifications for someone to put a new route up or a bolt in? Climbing is about fining freedom and hopefully using your best judgement. But because Ground Up was brought up, why do you think it was a wrong decision to go ground up as far as possible, then after seeing the possibilities for higher deciding to bolt the steep face on rappell? It allows for a much higher chance for some strong bad ass to free the route some day and minimizes the impact. If they bolted the ladder GU and then bolting the other variation, no one would say a word! A paradox. Individuals get to choose own style, hopefully doing the best they could, creating a line that will hopefully not only be an adventure for the team, but be an adventure for other people in the future. Yes, I agree, it would be robbing yourself of an adventure of going GU, into the unknown, yet if the individual wants to have an adventure of finding the best climbing for those who come after, I think it is a pretty damn good adventure and basically is a public service. So I can't see why the "not another Growing Up!" comment? Is that simply to take a dump on guys who put that up or to make yourself feel more superior because you use a different style? If you pulled on a piece or a bolt t, you o make upwards progress, you have defeated impossible. But BFD, we are talking about CLIMBING. It is not like we are saving the universe here! Although obviously all of us are very passionate about doing it...too much bla bla. But sleep well, Watkins is not getting rap bolted!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Nov 28, 2017 - 10:39am PT
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Did two more cool routes in the area this year with Chris. Up the middle of the Harding Tower (approx. line of route #3 from the photo above). Another one on Watkins, a direct line up the SE face, left of Escape from Freedom. Great rock but too much hooking and aid, don't think it would ever go free. :( The route up HT was really good with quality rock and climbing. The chimney to finish the route is awesome. And the setting....
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 22, 2018 - 10:36am PT
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Anything in the works Vitaliy?
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Llewelyn Moss
Big Wall climber
LZ Loon
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Dec 23, 2018 - 04:29pm PT
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Hey y'all,
The chimney finish to Semper Fi was climbed about 10 years ago. It was never named or reported. I don't want to steal V's thunder but the top half of that dome was climbed a lot. We thought it was cool to keep it on the d/l and here we are. Maybe stuff should be chopped maybe not. I don't really care. In the dark early one morning on a solo trip there, I blew my knee out on the top of that dome and never went back.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Apr 29, 2019 - 12:06pm PT
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The chimney finish is only 2 pitches and we did not place bolts in it so there is nothing to chop there. It is a cool little dome and spot for sure!
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