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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 11, 2006 - 01:06pm PT
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Hi John,
I don't think that drugs had much to do with long run outs. For sure some folks climbed stoned but every one pretty much followed the same style and I would guess the majority of all first ascents were climbed 'sober.' Other participants may have different opinions.
('Stoners Highway?’ They kept getting lost and it took forever to finish the route because team members would wander off and not return. Draw your own conclusions. Heehe.)
"Dusting off lesser lights" refers to running out the leads to keep less talented climbers off of the routes. This might have been a reason for run outs in some areas, but it does not fit with Yosemite, at least not in the early 70s. There were not many of us and we pretty much all knew each and climbed together.
I urge you to read through the whole thread--George Meyers, John Long, Kevin Worrall, Rick Accomazzo and Mark Chapman all comment on climbing BROS in the early 70s. Many other active climbers talk about climbing those routes in later years as well as newer routes that were done in the same general style.
Best, Roger
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Dec 11, 2006 - 04:38pm PT
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Roger: Thanks for the clarification. I guess I just assumed that with many drug related names of climbes and the knowledge that drugs were in some way a part of the climbing culture, runouts could have resulted. I spent a year in Vietnam in the late 60's and so everyone assumes drugs must have been a big part of my experience when in fact I saw probably fewer than 20% of the people I was associated with using it but I was in the Artillery not the Infantry or Marines. John Robinson
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Dec 12, 2006 - 11:13pm PT
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John,
Drugs had little to zero to do with the climbing style of the day. Ego didn't have much to do with it either. It was simply the way things were done back then. The climbing community was very small at the time and as Roger said we were a tight group and at one time or another we all climbed together. There was alot of talent around back then and also a lot of mutual respect. There are many references to drugs because drugs were also part of the culture at that time. We were all young and learning about life and experimentation with drugs was just another learning experience. Fortunately for most of us it was a phase we went through. Of course the term Stone Master had the double meaning of refering not only to getting high but to one who had a mastery of the rock as well. I personaly never climbed anything hard or serious stoned. It would be a great way to hurt ones self...the climbing style demanded sobriety and respect.
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Dimes
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Dec 13, 2006 - 10:23pm PT
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An obscure route with a hugh runout (80+ feet)on 5.9/5.10 is the second pitch of Guardians of The Galaxy on Lamb Dome. You cast off from the second bolt and head up to an unseen belay. Waugh drags me up this one afternoon and I am shaking in the belay just watching. For sure the most runout route I have ever been on. Mad Dog, give us the story!
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KEK
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Dec 14, 2006 - 12:50pm PT
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Stone Mountain, NC, is scarier, in my humble opinion, then a lot of the West Coast slabs I have done. For example, Storm in a Teacup, 5.10 A or 5.9+, first picth 3 bolts 150', second pitch no-bolts to anchor, third pitch no-bolts. It is some of the best winter climbing ever!
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Rocky5000
Trad climber
Falls CHurch, VA
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Dec 16, 2006 - 12:44am PT
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Amen, brother. I once wandered off-route on the Great White Way, thirty or forty feet out and nothing in sight, until my partner yelled up, and I saw the bolt twenty feet to my right; nothing but a sea of super-coarse sandpaper all around. I had no option but to traverse, with my mind gently frying the whole way. And the back side of Stone Mountain is worse - an 'easy' route like Teardrop has half-rope length runouts to ancient 1/4 inchers (unless they extended the bolt upgrade program around the back).
One reason for the boldness of these routes is the wonderful consistency of the index of friction there. Once you dial in your shoes after a few days, the grades seen to ease up, as long as you can quiet the restless mind, and a twenty-five foot runout seems almost reasonable.
One reason for the extra fear is that same texture. You would not be sliding or bouncing down nice glacier-polished granite if you fall; instead you're on a monster cheese grater. The Leader Must Not Fall!
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Dec 16, 2006 - 03:04pm PT
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Hey, Dimes. With your “Mad Dog” reference, you must be referring to “Wild Jim” Wilson, who led the crux of Guardians of the Galaxy, on Lamb Dome. I recall a couple of things about it.
The top of the first pitch is level with the big ledge where Kamps and Higgins’ Old Goats Route starts. As I was leading the first pitch, I glanced over at the ledge to the left and if I could have wrenched one of the Tuolumne pebbles loose, I could have tossed it and hit Tom Higgins, who was watching me intently. I nodded to him, but tried to keep my concentration, since the climbing was easy but run out at this point. Any inkling about placing a bolt prior to the end of the pitch was banished when I saw Higgins. Higgins and Kamps were the undisputed masters of Tuolumne at that time and honor required that bolts be used sparingly, especially with a champion of Tuolumne face climbing literally looking over my shoulder. Jim Wilson led the start of the next pitch and I recall that he took a really long fall, 15-20 feet on a hard section at the start of the pitch. However, he got right back and waltzed up it the next time, the crux and key to the route. Jim, if you’re out there, chime in here; that was a marvelous lead.
I have a dim recollection of leading out some easier climbing up higher and it may have been the upper part of the second pitch that you are referring to. However, after the hard section that Wild Jim lead, everything else seemed pretty tame.
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Nate D
climber
San Francisco
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bump for slabs
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Jilli
Trad climber
SAnta cruz mtns, California
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hey Roger
awesome to see you hangin around on the Apron... i was doing the crux pitch up Goodrich Pinnacle and was all shaky and run-out, and then i looked over and saw hyou swingin around on your rope, dancing across the slabs, singing to yourself and just havin a blast up there! it made me smile, and then i ended up making it! thankyou!!
i have a few photos of you. posted em on the following thread!:
FAcelift 2008 2nd post due to user error
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=685759
=)
Jillian
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Jilli, I think you met Roger Brown, Roger Breedlove is another cool cat from BITD...
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 8, 2008 - 04:46pm PT
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Hi Jili,
If you come to the Nose 50 reunion, I will introduce myself.
Roger (the other RB)
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dogtown
climber
Where I once was,I think?
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Roger;
I remember when I first came to the valley from So Cal in the late 70's and came across the mentioned Run-out style slab climbing. I was horrified!!! Until we adapted the (hey if you come off, just RUN like hell left or right style of falling) Which is how we handled it at Suicide. The only thing is on the valley slabs you had to run further and faster. After a bit we just got used to the idea that if a route was 5.10 and there was some pitches of 5.9 or lower on it they were going to be run out and that was just the way it is. So deal with it.
BD
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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Anybody have a video on running down the face of a cliff, I am a little unclear on the concept.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 8, 2008 - 10:01pm PT
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Hey BD,
I personally had no experience with running while falling, at least not while climbing.
I do remember that some of you guys did have the presence of mind to run away from certain death on low angle slab falls. All I can say I would have proved gravity rules while you guys proved to be better negotiators.
TL, C
Roger
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Sometimes a bump is all you get to work with!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C. Small wall climber.
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Some of the jokes here just scrape by. They're a bit rough.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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slabbump.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Lordy lordy-where has this gem of a thread been hiding?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Somewhere between the nuns and the mermaids...LOL
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