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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Feb 20, 2006 - 12:57pm PT
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Ricky--
How about the legendary Belly Crawl on the Prow. We'd read all about that pitch, imagining some super thin smile where you'd have to shimmy along sideways with a mile of exposure beneath your boots. And then we find some silly, grainy ledge in the back of a chossy ditch with no exposure. We just frictioned across beneath the ledge wondering who in their right mind would have startd groveling across that "Belly Crawl."
After that we never really believed much of anything we read. The philosophy became, "We'll be the judge of what's hard and what's not," and shortly after that we caught fire.
JL
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Feb 20, 2006 - 01:00pm PT
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"this guy Tobin whom I had never even seen before at the crags did it the day before." - Graham
First time I met Tobin was on the top of the first pitch of that climb on the southwest shoulder of Intersection rock that starts with a funky mantle move. Me and Craig Parsley added a bolt to it 'cause Craig said it was too scary. That's right, I added a bolt to an existing route! Imagine that. Craig did the drilling. Worst of all, it was a John Long route! Man we never heard the end of that one. I felt like the biggest weenie in the universe after I found out you can't add bolt to an existing route...(especially if it was put up by John Long!).
Anyway, I had led this thing (named??? it's at the tip of my tongue) and a bunch of people wanted to follow on top rope. So I started to belay people up the route from the ledge (Mike's Books ledge). There were a few people who wanted to do it so I kept belaying them up and throwing the rope back down to the ground each time. Finally this guy I'm belaying climbs up over the ledge and I can see him for the first time...he's got a noose around his neck! He actually did the damn pitch (like 10a or something) with a noose around his neck the whole time with everybody watching as well (fortunately I didn't see anything from where I was). He gets up to me, pulls the noose off his head, smiles and takes off without saying anything except a "hi" and a peculiar giggle (that famous sheepish Tobin giggle some of us still remember!). Didn't introduce himself either...We were all newbies at the time, but I knew there was something "special" about this guy.
I found out later it was a guy named Tobin and that he liked to do crazy "stuff". Don't remember when I ran into him next, but I'll never ever forget that first encounter. Eventually we all ended up together climbing crazy "stuff" on the rocks-with Tobin usually at the helm!
Cheers to Tobin! We all miss ya' buddy...
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rmuir
Social climber
Claremont, CA
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Feb 20, 2006 - 01:27pm PT
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I remember Graham and West coming into work after that weekend to report about that New Generations line. ...must have been sometime in the Spring of 1973, since I included that new route in my report to Mountain Magazine in the November issue of that year.
I didn't really care for the name, as it smacked of youthful hubris and seemed a little "in your face", but--after all--it was Gramicci's project to name as his own. (Say Mike, wasn't it done right around the time of "New Dimensions"? And was a word play on that?)
But it was new, and immediately it was ripe for repeat ascents!
Now, Back In The Day, there was this interest on soloing hard face. (Tobin in the tree is a good example of that madness.) Why this was vogue is anybody's guess, as it was clearly a sign of mental illness.
Oh yeah... Sure.... You tie the rope on to some tree trunk at the base, tie the other end into your swami belt, CAREFULLY estimate how far it is to the first bolt, tie a knot into the cord that far out, and clip and climb. And Lord help you, if you don't give yourself enough slack to reach the first bolt! Once there, you shake-out, estimate all over again how far to the next bolt. And... ...get this... You unclip, snake out twenty more feet or so, tie the knot again, re-clip and go again. Dime-ing upwards with the prospect of twenty feet of slack hanging off your waist! Really dumb. Kids, don't try this at your home (crag)!
Ricky's dead right to question Largo's revisionist history that we weren't competitive. Damn, we were! But not in the Olympic womens' figure skating sense. No baseball bats to the kneecaps while your competitor's laying in the bag by the watertanks some dark night at Humber. No. We're talking friendly competition.
I went up to inspect "New Gen" one quiet weekday... There was hardly a soul around, and I didn't have a partner. So, hell, let's see what Mike has up his sleeve...
First bolt's not too bad. (Was there a second bolt, above, too?) Then, there was this long-ass traverse up and left across a kinda ramp. Maybe it was just a line of slopers and knobs? And then the next bolt. Still don't know why I actually did it, but it was absolutely NUTS. (In retrospect.) Because there were some pretty hard moves just BEFORE you get to the bolt! Holy sh#t was I scared!
When I got to the No-Go Ledge, that was it. Never again for the roped soloing on hard stuff! Better to risk the grounder by free soloing, than muck around with that 11 mil cord ever again!
Now, I kinda like the No-Go Ledge name!
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Feb 20, 2006 - 02:05pm PT
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JB, that was bizarre that noose around his neck and I can’t believe that was you up there. he he
Really funny about the bolt too! You can’t rib me about putting one in on rappel anymore even though I blindfolded myself.
JT was where I saw you first. You were working on that Water Chute climb. I totally forgot the name of the route until Russ reminded me. You had this baseball cap on all backwards even maybe a little hiphop for the day. Thought you were pretty strong back then too.
Robs, you know me a little cheeky sometimes. The climb couldn’t be named anything else next to Valhalla. Never would have carried the same weight. Could have been a play on words it would of made me look less cocky :-p
I can’t believe you soloed the first pitch. We didn’t even put it up but I thought everyone knew that. A Bender\Warender show.
Remember the second pitch of Rebolting! Yikes
MG
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rmuir
Social climber
Claremont, CA
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Feb 20, 2006 - 04:46pm PT
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Yeah, Darrell, part of the reason that I scanned the whole page with that Tobin picture was because of that write-up... Really fun to read all that Old Dad stuff!
Gramicci's remarks about New Gen sent me off to the moldy stacks of mags. Check this one out:
from Mountain #30 (pg. 10), Nov. 1973 (heavily edited by Ken Wilson, since none of us even knew the meaning of "apposite"):
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NORTH AMERICA / United States
Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks
Tahquitz Rock and its sister, Suicide Rock, continue to be the major source of attraction to Los Angeles climbers and perhaps the leading centre in the United States for extreme-edging face climbing. This year, no less than twenty-four new routes have been made, eighteen of which have received tentative ratings of 5.10 or above.
While the major emphasis has been at Suicide, in the face climbing arena, a number of difficult aid climbs at Tahquitz have been led free by John Long, including Le Toit, The Flakes, The Bat and The Vampire. The last route was considered, in 1959, "one of the most challenging (aid) climbs on the rock". Long also chopped the aid from Paisano Overhang, a ferocious off-width crack splitting a 220° ceiling. Valhalla, the first 5.11 face in California, has seen eight ascents in the past five months, bringing the grand total to ten.
The long-standing problem above No-Go Ledge has been solved by Mike Graham and Tobin Sorenson in three stages. Called New Generations (an apposite title, considering that the climbers were aged 17 and 18 respectively), this modern horror tops out at 350 ft., with continuously difficult edging and pitches of 5.10+, 5.11 and 5.10+. In an abortive attempt on the climb, Rob Muir soloed the first pitch, but was forced to regain some realism on No-Go Ledge, thereby permitting Bill Antel and Kevin Worrell to bag the first continuous ascent. Suicide now boasts a total of five 5.11 climbs.
A new trend in California climbing has started with the girdling of the two great faces of Suicide: Big Peach (Long) on the Weeping Wall, and Vertical Smiles (Muir/Sorenson) on the Sunshine Face. But the most impressive girdle expedition was Richard Harrison's and Cosmos Foster's Pipeline to Pluto on Tahquitz. Unfortunately the climb finished at the 13th pitch, reportedly due to lack of wine (future parties please note). When completed, this route may become the first grade 6 in the area.
Correspondent: Rob Muir
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And for the record, Ricky and I did eventually do a complete girdle of Tahquitz... Left to right. Downclimbing over The Edge was probably the highlight. 26 pitches or something, wasn't it, Rick?
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Feb 20, 2006 - 05:00pm PT
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Hey, where'd you ever get the idea that I said we were never competitive with each other. Right after Mike and co. did New Generation (leaving calling cards in the bolts), I literally ran up the trail to Suicide, oissed that I'd missed out on the first. But there weren't the sniveling "I did this and you didn't" kind of garbage that came laterEarly on it was like if one of us did it then we figured we all coudl do it. But the game was much more mental than just physical. That business Ricky mentioned about hesitating on Autopilot wasn't because we couldn't do the moves (probably only about V3 or so, but always tried/climbed with no rope), but because we didn't want to pitch off from 20 feet up and tumble all the ways down to the road--a solid 40 footer adding the tumbling.
I came out of traditional sports and was competitive as hell. And I had to be because I had all that extra weight to haul up the goddam rock. I outweighed most of you guys by 50 pounds, and it was a hell of a lot of work keeping up sometimes. Once I got to be around 21 and my body matured it was peretty much a loosing battle trying, at 210 lbs., to climb the same as guys with tiny finger who tipped the scales at around 150. I'll never forgive you guys for being so thin! I always knew I'd choosen the wrong sport for my body type but I was having too much fun and anyhow, all my buds were climbers so I just went wih it.
JL
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Feb 20, 2006 - 05:05pm PT
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OH MY GOD!
CLASSIC!
That was ‘73 and I graduated in ‘74 at 17 for the record
good old Ken Wilson he could of made you stars!
Edit: OH MY GOD!again, i can vaguely remember the cards, Shit!
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Tarbuster
climber
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Feb 20, 2006 - 07:27pm PT
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Largo,
There’s a distinction between competitive modalities: one that drives all players forward and one that snuffs the opposing effort for the sake of winning.
My sense of the early days, late 70’s anyhow by my arrival, was the former.
This is the best of what I gleaned from that particular group dynamic.
By the time the hording of first ascents started up at Josh, things seemed to change hue a bit; not that a productive sportsmanship didn't exist then or that it doesn't, right here, right now.
Anyhow, as noted above, the Stone Master’s for me were a real positive driver…
Cheers,
Roy
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todd-gordon
climber
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Feb 20, 2006 - 09:12pm PT
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I remember one day in the 70's seeing some climbers up on a new route on Tahquitz.....to me, it looked impossible....it was Accomazo and Shockley up working on The Pharaoh, which, I believe is 5.12......they were climbing with stoppers and hexes. I became good friends with Dick Shockley in the late 70's. Once we took 'schrooms in the Humber Park parking lot and I was still flying on the drive home.......I remember driving behind Shockley's maroon Honda Accord....it was a distinctive car......I was honking my horn, flashing my lights, riding his bumper, and acting like I was going to pass on curves... just to mess with him.... finally, I DID end up passing him, and when I drive past the driver's window, it WASN'T Shockley after, but someone else in a maroon Honda Accord, and I haven't seen a look of horror like that driver had , ever again in my life. (How about that hill-billy hat of Shockley's?). Shockley also sort of faded from the climbing scene, and I hadn't seen him in quite awhile.... Then one day, out of the blue, he showed up at my place in Joshua Tree, sort of in the warm months...off season. He bouldered a bit on this trip, got high, and wandered the desert.....He said he felt an urge or need to visit the desert. That night was the Lander's Earthquake... the strongest earthquake in California probably in 100 years......it felt as if the earth was to throw us miles in the sky.....a powerful and intense experience... Shockley, somehow, got a sign from somewhere to show up for the event. There was also 2 Brits staying a "The Ranch".....scared the fuk out of them too.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 20, 2006 - 09:35pm PT
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Didn't Dick S hold one of the better mental lists of the whole do or die admonition?
AKA
leader never laybacks
when in doubt run it out
finger locks or cedar box
lead or bleed
no mistake or big pancake
etc, etc.
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rmuir
Social climber
Claremont, CA
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Feb 20, 2006 - 09:52pm PT
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Make haste, or tomato paste.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 20, 2006 - 10:04pm PT
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bridging skills or hospital bills
no, : edging skills or ...
I think I'm gonna peel.
feets don't fail me now!
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Wonder
climber
WA
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Feb 20, 2006 - 10:30pm PT
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Two old names in two days: Cosmo Foster. I've been trying to remember his first name for weeks. me & him use to hit up the privet highschool chicks @ desert sun school. Another one always looking for hammerdom.
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Wonder
climber
WA
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Feb 20, 2006 - 10:35pm PT
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fire or retire
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 20, 2006 - 10:44pm PT
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speaking of hammerdom,
there was:
Bearamiah
Bear Squared
Bear to the dodecahedron
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Feb 20, 2006 - 11:04pm PT
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Cosmo Foster = Bruce Foster
We used to get in a whole lot of trouble together . . .
JL
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WBraun
climber
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Feb 20, 2006 - 11:06pm PT
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Largo
You need to start "Stonemaster Stories (Part III)"
This thread is getting too long.
Start Part III please.
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todd-gordon
climber
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Feb 20, 2006 - 11:08pm PT
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I started to climbing every weekend in So. Cal. in 1976, which was sort of the end of the Stonemaster era.....I just was getting used to the climbing life-style, and I used to see the Stonemaster crew out and about, and , even though I was "The next Generation", I learned to climb during the Stonemaster era, and took on "their" views of climbing, partying, standards, and ethics. The Stonemasters climbed on hexes and stoppers, ran it out, didn't hang on the rope, didn't place bolts where they didn't belong or were needed, didn't climb in gyms, climbed more than trained, smoked pot, and climbed every free moment they had.....(Or this is what I believed.....)......THEN.....came the lycra, hang-dogging, sport climbing, gyms, cams, working out more than climbing, ........I'm glad I started climbing when I did, and learned to climb when ethics and integrity really meant something. Maybe that is why I have enjoyed climbing so much and kept with it so long. I owe alot to the So. Cal. Stonemaster way of thinking;....thanks. Todd Gordon Joshua Tree , Cal.
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Wonder
climber
WA
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Feb 20, 2006 - 11:22pm PT
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Thats right John, thats all i kept thinking Bruce, Bruce... and thanxs tar, bear was another good friend, bearsquared, havent heard that in over 20 yrs.
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Feb 20, 2006 - 11:33pm PT
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It doesn't get much better than reading these posts. I've always been keenly interested in the history of the areas that I climb at. And now I'm getting a torrential downpouring of new information. Little details are filling in, things I never knew are popping out, and many dots are being connected. I can correlate seemingly unrelated comments from one story with comments in another story. Very cool. When its all said and done, the history of an area isn't so much about the routes themselves as much as it is about the people who did the routes. When I look at New Gen, what do I see? Mike and Tobin. Caliente: Bachar. Piasano: John. The Edge: Tobin. The list is endless. And now... When I look at Valhalla I'll see Robs because I've learned that it was him that did the second, aura busting ascent. My perceptions and feelings are being validated, reshaped, and molded in new ways. Almost daily. Yes, it's all about the people. Keep it coming!
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