Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
bob
climber
|
|
G. Murphy, did you free the whole Escp. Freedom? It looked so UNBELIEVABLE over there! I would love to read some sort of report of that if you ever feel into it.
My legs have more power than my arms. I love slab climbing.
Bob J.
|
|
G Murphy
Trad climber
Oakland CA
|
|
Bob J - We did Escape From Freedon in 1990, I think; probably the 3rd ascent. At the time there were a handful of A0 moves, which is what we did. The climbing is stellar up wildly featured dikes, then traversing 6 pitches or so on dikes and polish, with the headwall finish. Some mandatory 5.11+ moves and stacks of 5.10+/5.11- climbing. About as good as it gets, I don't know why I've only done it once.
Tom Addison later freed all the aid moves, but I don't know if it's been put together as a continuous free ascent.
I was always hugely entertained by Bruce's Mountain articles.
Greg
|
|
Urmas
Social climber
Sierra Eastside
|
|
Thanks for posting this Steve. While replacing the bolts on NGD back in '03 I realized that there is an unnecessary runout on p4. From a no-hands stance there is a 5.9 move about 20' out from the last bolt. I intend to go back to add a bolt soon. When this is done the route can be recommended to those who weren't schooled in the "leader must not fall" mentality BITD.
This is a very enjoyable route which can be approached from hwy 120 in an hour and a half by your average mortal. Park by a gated road that leads to a maintenance yard south of the hwy. Follow game trails that contour past the summit of Yasoo dome. The descent gully can be identified by the "rabbit ears" boulders shown in the Reid Vally Free Climbs book. The right hand variation to the second pitch is preferable to the left one because it avoids a flaring wide section.
I doubt that anyone has done the complete route described in the article. Linking the Austin/Cantwell/Morris start with either Escape From Freedom or New Golden Dawn would require some undistinguished looking wandering and hiking. I think most parties would rather get right to the good climbing by approaching from above.
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 5, 2010 - 12:13am PT
|
Great job maintaining your route, Ermas! Love to see some topos, especially originals!
|
|
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
Here's a topo with several corrections from Brian Cox - he has done this climb many times!
[Edit: uprated p1 to 5.10d - Brian had made this correction in my Meadows guide, but not Valley guide. He also drew in another bolt on p6]
[Edit #2: added bolt to p6, note about RPs, note about rockfall on p7]
|
|
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
[Edit: rappel line corrected - thanks, Urmas.]
|
|
Urmas
Social climber
Sierra Eastside
|
|
Steve, the topo in the book is a copy of Bruce's original.
Clint, your yellow descent line is to the right of the correct route. It actually starts in the gully, not on the crest of the buttress to the right as you show it.
Brian, I wonder if you did the route after it was rebolted. The rappel from knotted sling was replaced by a modern 2 bolt anchor. Maybe you just didn't find it?? Also I'm surprised you found the first pitch easier than the third. You're the only one so far.
|
|
bob
climber
|
|
I felt the first pitch was the hardest for both leader and follower. The first pitch seemed a bit uncharacteristic of the rest of the route except for maybe a spot of 5.9 well above a bolt on a dike up high. Nowhere near the difficulty of the first pitch when above pro though.
Nice work on that route Urmas. This route is a bedded memory not to fade. How about looking over and seeing all the people lined up the cables! WOW We though we were just seeing posts until the camera zoom came out.
Does anyone have some info on more free routes on Yasoo besides The Chief and South Face?
I have heard rumors of another good free route/routes. That face is brilliant.
Bob J.
|
|
Urmas
Social climber
Sierra Eastside
|
|
Bob: Al Dude, Nate Greenberg and I put up a route on Yasoo called Peacepipe (5.11d A0) which starts on the smooth slab to the right of the lower buttress of The Chief, and continues more or less straight up to the summit. The crux pitch at 2/3 height known as the "White Lie" consists of a 60' bolt ladder which has yet to be freed. Al and I have done the moves, we just have not linked them without falling. It would involve sustained crimping on micro edges and probably go at 12a/b. With his permission I will post the topo.
|
|
Weekend Warrior
Trad climber
Palo Alto, CA
|
|
I did this route for the 4th time in 2009. At that time it was not possible to climb up from the last bolt on the climb (7th pitch) as shown in the Reid guide due to the small arch/roof over which the climb went having let loose. I continued traversing up and right (5.8) past the last bolt and then up to a nut belay (~58m). Also note that, while all other bolts were 3/8", the belay at the end of pitch 5 is still 1/4" (at least, the 1/4" bolts are still there and I couldn't find any others...). Urmas and company also added a new sling to the appropriate rappels, but these were looking a bit ragged last year.
|
|
Weekend Warrior
Trad climber
Palo Alto, CA
|
|
Urmas,
I've done the route twice since it was rebolted. Neither time did I find another rappel in lieu of the knotted slings. The 1st time this may have been due to having 50m ropes and the 2nd from not wanting to rappel into the water in the lower part of the gulley. In 2009, I didn't bother with the knotted slings and just downclimbed (5.2-ish with a bit of ~5.7 10' off the ground).
I thought the 1st pitch was the crux on the sharp end but was glad that I wasn't doing a couple of the moves on the 3rd pitch with the air of the 1st (although if I'd brought some RPs, there would've been a bit less air on the 1st...). And as an editorial comment, for those who like slabs, the 3rd is stellar.
Brian
|
|
Urmas
Social climber
Sierra Eastside
|
|
Memory is an interesting thing. According to my pal Jeff Dozier two things happen as you get older. The first is that you forget things that happened, and the second is that you remember things that didn't.
My recollection is that when we rebolted the rappels we left links rather than relying on webbing. It seems we also neglected to replace the p5 anchors - OOOPS!
I just looked at the original topo this morning and found that we did rate the first pitch 10c, as shown in your topo. Funny, because the few times I have done the route since the FA, I thought it was harder. By the way, I've felt that RP's were essential for the first pitch. Doing it without them would certainly be bold!
I guess now I have a couple more reasons for going back. Oh well!
|
|
Weekend Warrior
Trad climber
Palo Alto, CA
|
|
Yes, memory is indeed an interesting thing.
There are lap links on the 2nd and 3rd rappels that I did. However, the 1st is from a tree (AFAIK) and the ancient slings were too tight due to the tree growing and the newer black slings that you (I assume) left were getting pretty tight. I cut off the 2 older ones and retied them together around the tree.
In my 1st ascent of this route (8/83 or summer '84), I had a hand drawn topo and if it mentioned RPs, I missed it. My 2nd was 5 years later and I forgot to bring them. But, in those days, it was "oh well, another runout". In 2007, it was "man, why didn't I bring the !#% RPs" and in 2009, it was "shit!!! not again...".
|
|
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
Brian,
I updated the topo to add a note about RPs, added a bolt to p6, and added the post-rockfall way to do p7.
Thanks for all the edits!
|
|
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
Because a topo only shows one view of a climb....
|
|
G Murphy
Trad climber
Oakland CA
|
|
I think I did Golden Dawn with Elliott Robinson and we had RPs. Probably because Brian told us to bring them.
Greg
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2010 - 03:32pm PT
|
Neue Goldene Bumpus!
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 26, 2010 - 12:38pm PT
|
Bruce Morris Bump!
|
|
em kn0t
Trad climber
isle of wyde
|
|
|
Jan 11, 2011 - 05:13pm PT
|
For those lucky enough to be on the east side...
free slideshow at snowcreek athletic club in mammoth lakes tonight:
Urmas Franosch, Big Wall Climbing on Mt. Watkins
(I'll also cross-post as a new thread)
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 11, 2011 - 09:14pm PT
|
Hot ticket em!
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!