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Iron Mtn.
Trad climber
Riverside, Ca.
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Always been a dream climb of mine, right up there with Flower of High Rank in the climbs to do before I die....
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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What's it all mean......
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Phil and Maria were definitely instrumental in my rather bull-headed decision to change the route name, but my insistence (over DE's objections) was entirely my fault.
...route called 'Fred' at Tahquitz that made for one of my best days climbing. Not quite so picturesque, but considerably more demanding. Was 10d when I did it, and I think since upgraded. Highly recommended if you like the demands of the sharp end. I'm interested to hear stories (lookin sketchy?) of first or later ascents, if anybody has been up on it.
A bit OT, but somehow seems appropriate.
Fred was one of a number of routes I had the pleasure of doing with Charles Cole (a master of many different modes of climbing). I had scoped the line a few times from Human Fright (pre-inspection on rap was considered bad style back then) and it looked like there was a line there (kinda like a Middle Cathedral type face route). [Edit: Maybe Craig told me about it. Hard to remember.]
Charles placed a pin in a small crack to protect placing the first bolt (it is now gone, but you can get a small nut there). Charles lead the hardest moves past the first bolt (which is why he is listed first on the FA). I lead the section past the second bolt (funky layback to face holds) and remember asking someone on Human Fright if it looked like there was a stance to drill a bolt up ahead (which fortunately there was).
After finishing the first pitch, we bailed and came back to put up a second pitch -- which unfortunately after about 25 feet of good climbing turns into a relatively easy crack before joining Blankety Blank.
The name was our idea (like the silly "poodle" thing) that route "names" should be more interesting and why shouldn't a climb have a "people" oriented name.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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I've done P1 of Fred more times than I can remember, and P2 once, which I will never forget. It's kind of wild up there and most folks just do the first and rap.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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First time on it, following...first pitch of the day, cold. Fell off the crux. Reachy.
Second time, leading...first pitch of the day, cold. Fell off the crux for a cartwheeling tumbler. "Needed to get that out of my system" I tell Josh. Went back up and fired through.
Third time, leading...first pitch of the day, cold (maybe I have a learning disability?)...went back and forth, up and down at the crux for about 5 minutes looking for a less reachy sequence...didn't find one and just beared down and got it done. Finally, a non-taitned ascent.
Fourth time? Won't be one. It's a good route, but it's not 4x good.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Did you hang on the RADNESS of Fred??
No, didn't hang on any gear (if that's the question); lead and bolted from second bolt to the belay in one push.
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AJB
climber
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Awww what the hell...long time lurker...first time poster. Least it's a climbing thread.
Flashback to 1990...I'd been climbing for maybe two years. Young and naive enough to not be scared. I'd been hooked on Figures every since I saw that pic somewhere in a catalog or magazine...I think it was of Croft. It's mid-summer...had this ridiculous idea to hike out and do it as I knew it was mostly shady. Ring up my partner and we trudge on out there in the blazing heat. It's a dry heat...riiiight. We both manage to style the first pitch to that cool hanging belay...you know the one...feeling pretty good. My partner casts off on the second...promptly blows the crux and takes the big swing...uh oh...maybe not so easy after all. Shaken and stirred he get back on it and climbs through the runout section just to the point where you transition to the slabby ledge. I'm thinking it's in the bag. Suddenly I hear "Oh shiz"....look up....see him heading on down head first...ummm yikes that was a big one. Ends up dangling about even with the belay. Some rappel shenanigans get us off the thing we limp out in the dark. Well damn that was kinda humbling.
Fast forward some twenty years later to one of those crisp blue sky Josh days. Finally do the whole rig...get extra style points for not falling or whimpering. Climbed it with some guy named Sketchy. I think he posts here sometimes...may have written a book or two. It remains to this day one of my favorite routes in the park. It really doesn't get much better.
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Murf
climber
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I know a guy who swears he pointed out Fred to Randy, and got scooped!
I'm not kidding.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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It has been more than 30 years. Don't you think it is past time to remove the Monkey on RV's back?
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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ive done figures a number of times. but never since the belay was moved.
i've never really understood how folks fall off that traverse, let alone up above. i'm amazed that folks could do the thin moves at each of the lower bolts and then pitch off those buckets up higher.
fred, too. only did it once,, but my memory is that it was one of the few face climbs in idyllwild that actually had holds. really cool climb and it is a bit like mc.
so far as the feud goes, i expect folks will be nursing a lot of 1970s and '80s grudges well into the century.
heh
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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I have done it several times, including several early repeats. Regardless of what it is called, definitely one of the finest routes at JT at any grade. Anyone who contributed should be proud.
I kind of agree with klk on the second pitch. Those big 'ol black plates felt pretty darn good after the the thin stuff on pitch one. The hanging belay was a big part of whole experience.
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Port
Trad climber
San Diego
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These pics make it look way harder than it is.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Dr F, I am sorry you still carry the bitter burden of regret.
FOAL is a tremendous and highly regarded route. Your contributions should be fully recognized.
I know the emotions and motivations of both sides of this biscuit. I have had routes jumped and I have jumped routes. I have been driven and I've been drubbed.
Hell, if it weren't for those cretins from Colorado Springs stealing at least a dozen Black Canyon 1st ascents from us Gunnison climbers I might have been famous.
Cheers!
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Good route for sure. But what is it that makes it stand out the most in people's mind? The steepness, traverse, rock quality, position? Maybe the controversy? Or all of them?
All these great pictures of the route, and yet I never see any chalk, much less climbers on the line just a little left of it. What's up with that? As a side note, it is sort of curious that there are two controversial routes side by side on that dome. Although for different reasons I guess.
OK, Kerwin, a couple of comments regarding your earlier post:
i've never really understood how folks fall off that traverse, let alone up above. i'm amazed that folks could do the thin moves at each of the lower bolts and then pitch off those buckets up higher.
fred, too. only did it once,, but my memory is that it was one of the few face climbs in idyllwild that actually had holds. really cool climb and it is a bit like mc.
so far as the feud goes, i expect folks will be nursing a lot of 1970s and '80s grudges well into the century.
heh
Re: Fred. I've never really understood how folks fall off anything at Idyllwild. Isn't that stuff all low angle slab?
Re: grudges well into the century. Perhaps you really meant to say "grudges well into the grave."?
In reality I jest about the falling thing. Well, kinda... sorta...
I wish I could honestly say I've never fallen off something where I shouldn't have, but I can't. Most of us are probably like that eh? Do enough and sooner or later something dumb is going to happen somewhere. Maybe the reputation of the route (Figures), and traverse in particular, gets into peoples heads?
edit: klk, I understood the context of your comments. My last comment isn't directed at anyone in particular. For all I know, maybe I AM the only one who has ever pitched somewhere when they shouldn't have.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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I wasnt making fun of folks who fell off that traverse, I just genuinely didn't understand falling in that passage, since it was a bit like the harder moves below, but with much bigger holds and in the sort of position that would seem to focus ones attention.
When i was climbing all the time, and before sport climbing, I took three falls in what were basically no fall zones. Two of them happened when holds broke unexpectedly. The third was when i was still learning to aid climb. I was quite lucky to walk away from all three.
These days, I fall unexpectedly all the frickin time. On the boulders, at least.
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socalbolter
Sport climber
Silverado, CA
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Henny -
I'll have you know that I did that one the last time I was out there and did Figures. Even claimed a POS bail biner in the process.
It's nowhere near as scary as it looks (or the reputation puts forth), and the climbing is top-notch on perfect rock.
Besides, the controversy gives it some allure...
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Yeah, actually I agree when it comes to Figures. One would think the focus level would be higher for the traverse.
Excellent Louie - people should be doing that thing. The rock is good, the climbing is good, and as just noted, the bark is worse than the bite. It is too bad the chipping occurred, cause it really wasn't needed - whoever did it. Have the bolts been replaced? BTW: done Stone Idol? Now that's another good one.
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Is Zion Train the smaller corner (kind of where the rope goes) or the larger one further left in that rapping picture a ways back? I assume the smaller one? (Right hand one - just read your other post.) Looks pretty good.
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socalbolter
Sport climber
Silverado, CA
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I've done Stone Idol - and definitely agree on the quality. Have not done Zion Train (yet).
The bolts still need attention on Repo Man, but that's some good quality rock and the bolts seemed trustworthy to me (although we all climbed back when pitching onto bolts like those was the norm).
I'm happily re-discovering Josh these days, and plan to try and hit up some of the routes that I somehow overlooked over the years. Any other classics that might be more off the beaten path?
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scuffy b
climber
Three feet higher
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The one time I did the climb, I thought the moves toward the end of the
traverse were harder than the ones below.
However, there was a section before the traverse where I thought the moves
marked by chalk looked harder than I wanted, sort of in a shallow corner,
and I found different moves a few feet to the right, more of the standing
on positive edges which the lower part of the climb had been.
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