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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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The yellow "Yosemite Climbs" (Meyers), the 1982 edition, has both Movin' Like a Stud and Benzoin and Edges by Pat Timson and Rick LeDuc in 1980.
The light green guide (Meyers & Reid), from 1987, has it:
Movin' Like a Stud: Pat Timpson, Julie Brugger, Bob Crawford and Dave Anderson, 1978.
Benzoin and Edges: Pat Timpson, Jeff Vance, Don Harter, Rick LeDuc and Bruce Hildenbrand, 1978.
Timson, LeDuc, Brugger, Crawford, Harter and Anderson were/are all from Washington state, so are sort of honourary Canadians. Climbers from B.C. and Washington had a loose association at the time, especially in Yosemite. Rick can probably provide more information, if asked.
Carl Austrom, who is Canadian, did some solid new slab routes in the Valley, especially on the Apron. He liked slab climbing at Squamish, and was very good at it, and simply took it elsewhere. Ochre Fields is one route that comes to mind.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Anders found the correct route title Movin' Like a Stud in Appendix III of the Yellow Guide... the only place it is listed correctly in that edition.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Bruce wrote
"Those climbs are fundamentally different than GP Apron slab/friction routes. They represent a separate genre of friable pie crust edging where you're never sure whether a whole thin sheet of granite is going to rip off the slab under body weight. Sure enough, the edges are there, but will they break? "Friday the 13th" is like that too . . . It had chalk on it, so somebody else out there must have repeated it? "
Last i heard, Friday the 13th was missing some bolt and even more dangerous than it already was. Another route crosses it if I'm not mistaken that isn't quite as "dark."
Yeah, those routes over on Royal Arches suffer from friable edges which make rolling the dice on them, well, dicier. I love to go play on some of them in the winter because they dry faster and can be in the sun.
The Arches area is home to two of the more extreme retro-bolted one pitch climbs in the park. I ain't saying where (because they are fun and a relief) and because rumour has it that the FA party is also the retro-bolt party.
Some of those routes have become harder as big edges break and things get smoother. Mostly the ones that get done now and then so not many.
Peace
karl
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Okay, it was the Washingtonians. But a Canadian, the late Eric Weinstein, was the one who told me about how stout he thought those routes were when he repeated them, so that may have introduced the confusion. Wasn't it LaDuc who used to say "Move like a Stud" all the time? Think that was kind of a theme song of his . . . One thing I do want to know, is why is that wall off limits and not in the latest edition of the Yosemite guide? Don't remember anything special about that area.
Winter is great over beneath the Arches when big icicles fall down off the cliff from above and explode in the talus field below.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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As part of the first ascent team of Benzion and Edges, a little history is in order.
The actual route name (it was my idea) is Benzoin and Edges: The Testes Squeeze. The Testes Squeeze came from a personal protection move we all read about and laughed at one day at the magazine rack while slumming in the Yosemite Lodge gift shop.
About the route.....we all drilled one bolt; Pat Timson drilling the second while standing on a dime thin edge in a special pair of Vasque Ascenders with smooth EB rubber soles. I got the call for the first complete lead and promptly broke off two footholds 25 feet out on the crux. My belayer, Jeff, ran down the hill and I only ended up going 35 or so feet, but left a nice set of black streaks in the process.
Never undrestood why this climb is now considered to be in some sort of "protected area" unless it is to protect climbers from some nasty runouts. Anybody know the story here?
Bruce
ps - oh yeah, if you are into that nationality thing, Jeff and I are from California. We were friends with Washintonians Timson, LeDuc and Harder and invited them to come do the first ascent with us.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Some history on Movin' Like a Stud (the name comes from the Stones song Bitch). The first pitch was started by Bob Crawford and Dave Anderson. Bob Crawford was the one who was always saying "Move like a stud". Pat Timson and Julie Brugger added the last few bolts.
My partner, Jeff Vance, and I did the second ascent. At the belay, Jeff called "off belay" and leaned back on the bolts. Luckily, I hadn't taken him off yet as both 1/4" bolts sheared and he took about a 25 footer onto the last protection bolt. We didn't have a bolt kit with us so I lowered Jeff to the ground and then I climbed up to the last protection bolt to rappel off. Yikes! The only bolt between me and the ground was one of those pretty bogus 1/4" by 1" Zmac jobs which is totally inappropiate for lead climbing much less aid. What's a fella gonna do?
Bruce
ps - maybe Jorge can fill us in on those 1/4" Rawls which were breaking in Yosemite.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 3, 2006 - 07:17pm PT
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Bruce, I would like to know how just-placed bolts shear off? Were they button heads? Yikes!
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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We had several broken bolts at Squamish in 1978/79 also. I believe they were all 1/4" Rawl compression (split) bolts - probably 1.5". Can't remember if they were button heads or not. The most famous example was Daryl Hatten's 20 metre+ fall on Zorro's Last Ride - he did a hard section, clipped the bolt, stood on it and that was that. I had two break on a short climb called Mirkwood Forest - they simply sheared off, more or less flush with the surface. And others.
The bolts had been placed by several climbers during 1977/78, and we couldn't figure out if it was a bad batch that somehow got distributed, or what.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Bruce wrote
"We didn't have a bolt kit with us so I lowered Jeff to the ground and then I climbed up to the last protection bolt to rappel off. Yikes! The only bolt between me and the ground was one of those pretty bogus 1/4" by 1" Zmac jobs which is totally inappropiate for lead climbing much less aid. What's a fella gonna do?
Bruce "
I wouldn't suggest leaving biners on the two last bolts instead of just the last ( since two higher just sheared under body weight) cause we all know it would take a more extreme risk to justify sacrificing two biners back in the day.
;-)
Karl
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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All I remember is that I thought "Benzoin and Edges" and "Movin' Like a Stud" were both genuinely frightening slab leads that deserved more recognition as pie-crust test pieces. But, of course, I'm timid and easily scared.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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We had several broken bolts at Squamish in 1978/79 also. I believe they were all 1/4" Rawl compression (split) bolts - probably 1.5". Can't remember if they were button heads or not.
I vaugely remember some scuttlebut about a bad batch of Rawldrives from that era. Seem to remember they were the 1/4" threaded ones though.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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The trouble with contraction bolts like the rawl split shaft type is that the mild steel is highly stressed by the cross shearing process used to create the split. Add to this the additional stress of compression during installation and you have a recipe for corrosion and stress fracturing right at the top split point. The split point also happens to be the area of greatest applied load and torque once outward force enters the picture. I used to put great stock in the 3/8" Rawl split shaft bolts until I snipped one off with two hammer blows low on El Cap. The remaining metal in the hole had the telltale rusted fracture faces. I was crest fallen since I had placed loads of them by then. It is amazing that more bad batches didn't occur especially with the 1/4" size. If the rod stock is tempered too stiff before being traumatized, look out lads.
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Jorge
climber
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(I'll get to the belayer fall in time, when I have some.)
But I couldn't resist the discussion over Movin Like A Stud. You know, when you put a guidebook together you're alone with the pen and when you see a name like that--blatantly stupid--your hand takes on a mind of it's own. My only mistake was in correcting myself later....
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Karl asks about leaving biners:-) The two bolts that sheared were Rawl split shafts. The bolt I rapelled from was a Zmac. Different type and construction, but yes, not really the most optimum thing to do if you want to stay breathing.
Roger asks about the sheared bolts. If memory serves, in the mid-70's George Meyers brought into Yosemite a bunch of 1/4" Rawl split shafts that, as Steve Grossman points out, were badly manufactured. A lot of these bolts sheared off under low loads.
Besides the bolts on Movin' Like a Stud, my partner Jeff and I had the single 1/4" Rawl split shaft buttonhead on the route we used to call Good Friday which is a variation to the Rights side of the Grack put up by Ken Boche and Russ Mclean in 1970. Jeff had clipped that lone bolt and had put in one crummy stopper for the entire protection on that pitch. After he went off belay I was flipping the rope to try and knock out the nut to show him how bad it was when the bolt popped instead!
Bruce
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Jorge,
I remember that. You told me that name was pretentious or lame or some such thing and changed it from stud to spud. I thought it was funny at the time. Still do...
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Sounds like someone ought to 3/8" retro bolt "Movin' like a Stud/Spud" and "Benzoin and Edges: The Testes Squeeze". Great warm winter locale for dodging falling icicles.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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I placed and broke one of those bolts in'80 in wyoming. had been rattling around in my bolt kit for a year. it was 1/4" x 1.5" Rawl threaded. It broke when I clipped in to it.
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alasdair
Trad climber
scotland
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fascinating insight roger
I've spent about 8 weeks or so inthe valley generally traveling quite a long way yto do so. Stoners is the monst memeorable free climb I did, just amazing quality, intricate and yes safe enough, but evciting. Somebody has fixed copper heeads on it which are handy mostly for the route finding. I;ve climbed a nice run out o to on the apron as well. Quietest climbing area in the valley, Strangley neglected.
The brits like it cause we do plenty scarysh fcae climbing here and can tick bigger numbers and get more respect than flailing on 5.9 cracks!!
the ASCA efforts and general bolting scene in Y is the best in the world! keep up the good work
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Greg Barnes
climber
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"the ASCA efforts and general bolting scene in Y is the best in the world! keep up the good work"
Thanks...I guess? We've only replaced a handfull of classics when it comes to slabs, and many places in Europe have near-total replacement of all the routes with bomber glue-ins. By far the majority of routes (especially slabs) in the Valley are all original hardware.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Greg writes
"many places in Europe have near-total replacement of all the routes with bomber glue-ins"
Are they typically allowed to power drill? Is the rock typically granite or limestone?
I'm asking because it's so time consuming to do just a little bit, and I wonder how other areas manage more extensive replacements.
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